VIDEO: See the biggest plane in the world

Its wingspan is the length of an American football field.

The world's largest winged airplane has taken off for the first time.

Built by Stratolaunch, the company created by the late co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen, in 2011, this aircraft is designed to serve as a springboard for satellites.

The idea is to fly the plane 10 km before launching satellites in orbit.

Its wingspan is the length of an American football field.

If successful, such a project would be a cheaper way to launch objects into space than rockets fired from the ground.

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The twin-engine twin-engine jet flew up to 4572 m and reached a speed of about 274 km / h (170 mph) on its maiden flight.

Pilot Evan Thomas told reporters that the experience was "fantastic" and that "for the most part, plane stolen as planned ".

according to their Web site, Stratolaunch aims to "make access to the orbit as routine as it is today to take a flight from the commercial airline".

Virgin Galactic, a company of British billionaire Richard Branson, has also developed aircraft that launch rockets into orbit since awesome size.

Stratolaunch describes his ship as the "biggest plane in the world", but some planes are longer from nose to tail.

Watch a video of his first flight below;