World's Largest Aircraft Takes To Skies On Debut Test Flight

The World’s largest aircraft took off for its first flight over the Mojave desert in California April 13. The carbon-composite air-launch carrier plane built by stratolaunch systems Corporation’s has been years in development before soaring on its debut flight lasting 2:30 hours without issue. stratolaunch systems was started by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in a bid to enter the lucrative private space market by offering an alternative and cost-effective air-launch system to put satellites into orbits.

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The white airplane called ‘roc’ – named after the enormous mythological bird of prey – with a wingspan the length of an Americal football field, sporting six engines of size that power the Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo’ airliners and twin fuselages landed back at the Mojave Air and space Port amid cheers from hundreds of people gathered to witness the great aeronautical event.

“What a fantastic first flight. Today’s flight furthers our mission to provide a flexible alternative to ground-launched systems”, stratolaunch Ceo Jean Floyd said in a statement.

The plane is designed to launch rockets and other space vehicles weighing up to 500,000 lb at an altitude of 35,000 ft and has been claimed by the company as making satellite deployment as easy as booking an airline flight.