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Space

Stratolaunch’s Carrier Aircraft Almost 40 Percent Complete

Pat Host

Thursday, January 22nd, 2015

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Stratolaunch’s Carrier Aircraft Almost 40 Percent Complete

Concept of Stratolaunch's carrier aircraft. Photo: Stratolaunch.

MOJAVE, Calif. --Stratolaunch Systems is almost 40 percent through assembly of its massive carrier aircraft and is on track for a 2016 first flight goal, according to Scaled Composites President Kevin Mickey.Mickey said the company has also built about 80 percent of the aircraft's composites by weight. Critical to its 2016 goal, Mickey said, is assembly of the "center-main wing" on the 385-foot wingspan carrier aircraft, which is to eventually launch a multi-stage booster into space from 30,000 feet altitude.…

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