Stratolaunch, the world's largest plane,

[everittdmickey]

speeds down the runway for the first time

• With a wingspan of 385 ft (117 m), the aircraft weighs an astonishing 500,000 lb (226,000 kg) and is designed to carry payloads up to 550,000 lb (249,476 kg).

Think about that for a little bit. A payload of 550,000 pounds.

• The Falcon Heavy (which just recently boosted a tesla red roadster toward MARS orbit) has a

maximum payload to 63,800 kilograms (140,700 lb), compared to 22,800 kg (50,300 lb) for a Falcon 9 Full Thrust, 28,790 kg (63,470 lb) for Delta IV Heavy, 27,500 kg (60,600 lb) for the Space Shuttle and 140,000 kg (310,000 lb) for Saturn V. Falcon Heavy is the world's fourth-highest capacity rocket ever built, after Saturn V, Energia and N1, and the most powerful rocket in operation as of 2018.

This thing has a payload of damn near TWICE that of a Saturn V.

The idea is to fly...rilly, rilly high. To the top of the sky. There isn't much air up there to slow the 'second stage' down. MOST of the fuel expended (like..I really mean MOST...90% maybe?) is burnt getting the rocket THAT high. If it's already THAT high when the rocket is ignited...well do the math.

BONUS...
the 'heavy lifter' lands...refuels...reloads...and is ready to chunk another rocket into space...

IN a few HOURS..

It takes days or weeks for SpaceX...it takes months or Years for NASA.

to do the same thing.

Comments

[alexcaskie]

Something like this will sure open up the world of space travel and satellite launches.

[everittdmickey]

yup...
'once you're in orbit...you're half way to anywhere in the solar system'.

this thing will make it cheap to get into orbit.

[aronexxon]

I like post you @everittdmickey

[helmibireuen]

was amazing ..... if this projected as a means of transport the future, .... an inspiration
Agreat post @everittdmickey

[yungchief]

That is huge, 500,00Ib. Since this is the first on the runway, we will evaluate how it functions in few days.Soon the military will request for one of these. Thanks for this information.

[abu.bakkar]

The giant Stratolaunch craft has currently with success completed 2 runway taxi tests reaching a high speed of forty six mph.........thanks for sharing

[zaim4d1]

Amazing...

[hawaiisunshine]

This is a brilliant idea. It would something amazing to witness. I'm just curious if how it would feel for the plane to release such a large payload.