The largest plane in the world made its first flight

It is expected that the Stratolaunch aircraft will eventually act as a flying launch pad for satellites, which could potentially be a cheaper way to send objects in space than rockets.

The test: The dual-fuselage aircraft has six engines and was manufactured from two used Boeing airliners. He flew over the Mojave Desert in California for two and a half hours on his maiden flight on Saturday, April 13. He flew at a top speed of about 189 miles an hour at about 15,000 feet above the ground, according to Stratolaunch.

Vital statistics: The scope of the device is wider than a football field, making it the longest in the world. You can watch an extract of the flight here.

The big plan: Ultimately, it is hoped that the aircraft will be able to fly approximately two or three times higher than commercial jets, before launching satellites into orbit. Stratolaunch believes that this will be more effective than the usual approach of launching rockets from the ground.

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