Stratolaunch first flew the Roc, the largest aircraft ever built. The flight lasted 2.5 hours and was intended for testing purposes. Stratolaunch wants to carry out rocket launches from the air with the aircraft.
The Roc took off from Mojave Space and Air Port in California on Saturday morning, Space.com reports. The flight was successful and is the next milestone for the company, which plans to use the aircraft to serve as a missile launch site from the air. The thinner air at high altitudes would require less powerful missiles, which could lower costs. Stratolaunch also sets a new record for the largest aircraft ever flown by testing the Roc.
The aircraft has a wingspan of 117 meters and is propelled by six engines. The intention is that it can bring rockets to a height of about 10 kilometers, after which they are launched into the air. For the rocket launches, Northrop Grumman, which is developing a compatible rocket, is working together.
Stratolaunch was founded in 2011 by Paul Allen, the late co-founder of Microsoft. A test was already done last year in which the Roc reached a speed of 74 kilometers per hour while taxiing.
Source of the photo: Twitter.