The Worlds Largest Aircraft Takes Flight

Last weekend the worlds largest aircraft took flight from the Mojave Air & Space Port. The plane was built by Stratolaunch and Scaled Composites and is designed to be a mobile launch platform for satellites. In short, the plane would fly up to an altitude of about 35,000 feet and then release a small rocket which would carry the payload out into orbit. The plane's design is very different from your standard 747, it has two fuselages (cockpits) and a wingspan of 385ft. The space between the fuselages would hold the payload, it's estimated to be able to hold payloads of up over 200 tons. On its maiden flight, the aircraft only flew for an hour and a half at around 17,000 feet but while in the air a number of different tests were performed relating to the handling, take off and landing.