Air and space enthusiasts gear up! The world’s largest plane is scheduled for it’s debut flight in 2019. The Stratolaunch is all set to break the records with its 385-foot wings, stretching longer than a football field. The airplane is primarily designed to launch rockets into space (known as low-Earth orbit). This means the aircraft is expected to fly between 99 and 1,200 miles above the Earth’s surface, where most satellites and space stations are.
The spacecraft was first unveiled in 2017. Since then it has undergone various tests. The most recently performed test was a runway test where the aircraft reached a maximum speed of 46 mph. Many more tests are scheduled however, before the flight next year.
The colossal aircraft is backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Allen’s visionary plan for the company and its aircraft is to “provide convenient, reliable, and routine access to low-Earth orbit.” Hence the idea of launching rockets directly in mid-air has evolved, which is expected to be less expensive than the current space launch options.
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