The world’s largest plane took flight for the first time on Saturday in California. Built by Stratolaunch in 2011, its 385-ft wingspan is the length of an American football field.
The aircraft is designed to act as a flying launch pad for satellites. The idea is to fly the plane to 10 km before releasing satellites into orbit. It would be cheaper than rockets fired from the ground. Stratolaunch aims to “make access to orbit as routine as catching a commercial airline flight is today”.
On its debut flight, the twin-fuselage six-engine jet flew up over Mojave desert. The plane flew for about two-and-a-half hours. It hit a top speed of 304 kilometers per hour and reached an altitude of 17,000 feet, reported AFP.
Pilot Evan Thomas described the experience as fantastic, added that “for the most part, the airplane flew as predicted”, reported BBC. Stratolaunch Chief Executive Officer Jean Floyd said it was a fantastic first flight. “Today’s flight furthers our mission to provide a flexible alternative to ground launched systems,” he added.
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