Friday, October 12, 2018

Stratolaunch Sees Successful Testing

Mojave- and Seattle-based Stratolaunch, which is backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen, has seen some successful testing of its launch vehicles, the company said this week. According to Stratolaunch, it has successfully been flying its vehicles out in the Mojave desert this week, reaching a top speed of 80 mph for its launch vehicle. The aircraft is designed for use as a "mobile launch platform" to help carry satellites into orbit, and is currently the world's largest aircraft. Stratolaunch is targeting its first official launch flight in 2020. The company's "Pegasus" Stratolaunch vehicle has been seen via aircraft radar flying around the Mojave all week. Stratolaunch is one of a number of aerospace-related startups which have ramped their activities in Southern California over the last few years, in part due to the huge success of SpaceX as well as continued strength in SoCal's aerospace industry.