That the biggest plane in the world is on the ground after a single flight

The aerospace company founded by Paul Allen, Stratolaunch, is closing down, according to a Reuters report that quotes anonymous sources. The company will stop its efforts to challenge traditional aerospace companies in a new "space race", four people familiar with the subject told the news agency.

In response to a question from Ars on potentially completed deals, a spokeswoman for the Seattle-based company responded, "We have no news or announcements yet to share." Stratolaunch remains operational . "

Questions about the future of Stratolaunch were raised almost immediately after the death of Allen, one of Microsoft's co-founders, in October 2018, at the age of 65. According to Reuters, the decision to set an exit strategy was taken at the end of last year by Allen's sister, Jody Allen. In January, Stratolaunch abandoned its efforts to build a series of rockets launched from its large carrier aircraft – a disturbing sign.

This threw a veil on the first flight of the plane. With a wingspan of 384 feet, this largest aircraft in the world took flight in April after eight years of development. "You've all been very patient and very tolerant over the years, we were waiting for this big bird to take off, and we finally did," Jean Floyd, CEO of Stratolaunch, told the press. The company reported that the aircraft had reached a speed of 189 mph and a height of 17,000 feet during its 150-minute test flight before landing safely at the air port and space of Mojave. But he has not flown since.

Throughout the development of the large Stratolaunch aircraft (creation of the company by Allen in 2011, stimulated by the dreams of flying in space and the desire to reduce the costs of access to space), we did not really know why an airplane of this size was needed for a relatively small launch. rockets. Stratolaunch was commissioned to launch the Pegasus rocket, developed by Northrop Grumman, with a capacity of about 450 kg in a low Earth orbit.

Its competitor, Virgin Orbit, is much closer to the market with its airlift system. The company uses a 747 modified aircraft named Cosmic girland it is expected that commercial service will begin with its LauncherOne rocket later this year. This rocket has a capacity of about 500 kg in low Earth orbit.

It now seems that the Stratolaunch aircraft may well be the second coming of the Spruce goose plane. This remarkable aircraft, built in 1947 as a vanity project by eccentric business magnate Howard Hughes, had only made a flight of one kilometer at an altitude less than 100 meters before being exhibited at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, in Oregon. He had a wingspan of 320 feet.

Stratolaunch registration image