The Private space race gets new entrant

Paul Allen and Burt Rutan reuniting, in a new project called Stratolaunch.  Breaking ground soon on the New Hanger in the Mojave Desert that will house the largest aircraft ever flown.  The hangers construction will be close to Scaled Composites facility where the team built SpaceShipOne.The plan is for the Ansari X Prize winning team, to offer a low cost to orbital solution.  Making it’s first flight in 5 years.

The product of this enterprise, will include a mobile launch system, with the carrier being the largest aircraft to ever fly.  It will fly with a multi-stage booster slung under wing like Spaceship one.  The boosters full weight will be 490,000 pounds.  The carrier is expected be be powered by six Boeing 747 engines and topping the scales at just over 1.2 million pounds.  The carrier will feature a wing span of 380 feet and require a 12,000 foot runway.

Sources: AOPA Online, Stratolaunch, Youtube