Video: First flight of the largest plane in the world – ElSol.com.ar – Diario de Mendoza, Argentina

Scaled Composites Stratolaunch marked a turning point in aeronautics history with its first flight with the Stratolaunch, the largest aircraft in the world.

Designed with a double fuselage to provide air support for the launch of a space rocket, the aircraft took off from the air and space port of Mojave on the morning of April 13 and made a journey of approximately 2.5 hours to reach a maximum altitude of 17,000 km. the feet

Even though he was not carrying a payload, his trip was a great success for a machine first announced eight years ago and that has an unprecedented range of nearly 118 meters.

The plane is the vision of Paul Allen, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of the company in 2011. The goal of Stratolaunch is to reduce the costs of space flights by transporting the rockets at an altitude of 35,000 feet and facilitating their travel to the predetermined orbit.

There were more than a few obstacles to overcome along the way. The original idea was to test the plane in 2016, but obviously it was not ready yet. Engine tests have not started until 2017 and taxi tests have just been completed in mid-2018. After this baptismal flight, Stratolaunch can concentrate on preparing the vehicle for its main mission, transporting rockets at high altitude.

The main challenge at this stage can be the acquisition of customers. Northrop Grumman is already committed to launching his Pegasus XL rockets with the help of the plane, but it is unclear who else will join him.

Stratolaunch may have to work hard to attract customers, especially because it's becoming easier and cheaper to launch useful payloads using conventional rockets. , such as SpaceX.