Friday, June 2, 2017
Microsoft Billionaire Unveils Biggest Plane In The World In Mojave
Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, rolled out the world's biggest plane, the Stratolaunch, earlier this week in Mojave, as Southern California continues to be at the center of a huge upsurge in the commercial space industry. Stratolaunch rolled its aircraft out of its hangar for the first time this week to conduct aircraft fueling tests, as it completes the initial aircraft construction phase of its work and moves toward flight tests. Paul Allen founded Stratolaunch in 2011. Stratolaunch says its goal is to develop a platform to make access to low Earth orbit (LEO) more convenient, more reliable, and routine. The plane is being designed by Mojave-based Scaled Composites, the aircraft and space vehicle company run by aerospace legend Burt Rutan, which also designed the SpaceShipOne, the first commercial vehicle to reach space. Stratolaunch's neighbor, Virgin Galactic, also reported progress on its flight testing this week, and LA rocket firm SpaceX is on the verge of yet another launch of a mission to the International Space Station, with another launch attempt on Saturday.