StratoLaunch: WOW!

[DocM]

Legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan, who came up with the idea for this monster,

 

https://www.wired.com/story/stratolaunch-airplane-burt-rutan-paul-allen/

 

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"Almost everybody who sees it for the first time says, 'Jeeeee-zus Christ!'  he says, lifting his arms and shaking his hands in hosannas. "And that's why you call it the Savior."

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MEDIUM LAUNCH VEHICLE

A new medium-class air-launch vehicle optimized for short satellite integration timelines and flexible launch profiles.

CAPABILITY
3,400 kg payload*
2022 first flight

STATUS
In development

MEDIUM LAUNCH VEHICLE HEAVY

A three-core MLV variant with capability to deploy heavier payload to orbit.

CAPABILITY
6,000 kg payload*

STATUS
Early development

SPACE PLANE (Black Ice)

A fully reusable space plane that enables advanced in-orbit capabilities and cargo return. Initial designs optimized for cargo launch, with a follow-on variant capable of transporting crew.

CAPABILITY
Medium-class payload or crew

STATUS
Design study

* Estimated performance for a 400 km circular orbit at 28.5°

Edited August 20, 2018 by DocM

[DocM]

 

Aviation Week...

 

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Stratolaunch Reveals Hypersonic Testbed Concepts

ORLANDO, FloridaAir launch space company Stratolaunch Systems has unveiled study plans for a pair of hypersonic flying testbeds that could be launched from the companys very large carrier aircraft currently in pre-flight testing at Mojave, California.
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Two baseline vehicles are under study, one a direct scale-up of the other. The smaller of the two, Hyper-A, is targeted at tests up to Mach 6 and is around 28 ft. long with a span of 11 ft, making it around twice the size of NASAs pioneering X-43A hypersonic experimental craft. With an identical planform to its larger, follow-on derivative, the Hyper-Z, the reusable vehicle would be autonomous and capable of landing and taking off from a runway, as well as being air-dropped from the Stratolaunch aircraft.

The larger Hyper-Z, which would be up to 80 ft. long with a 36 ft. span, would be aimed at tests up to Mach 10 and have an all-up weight of 65,000 lb. and a propellant fraction of around 0.6. We are seeing performance in excess of Mach 10 at 90,000 ft., albeit at high dynamic pressure, says Corda, who adds the predicted boost glide performance would take the vehicle to 500,000 ft. altitude and a range of about 800 nm.

Both would be powered by liquid rocket engines, the Hyper-Z being configured with the 200,000-lb. liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rocket currently in development by Stratolaunch. The Hyper-A would require a smaller engine in the 5,000-lb. to 10,000-lb.-thrust range.
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[Beittil]

May he rest in peace. 

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

😢

 

 

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-fi-tn-paul-allen-obituary-20181015-story.html

 

This is how I remember them.....it was a good time.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

 

 

Paul and the crew have built a fine ship....let's put her to work...

[DocM]

The vehicle is Black Ice, the proposed Stratolaunch spaceplane. Nearly the size of Shuttle.

 

 

 

[DocM]

 

[DocM]

So much for their rocket development. Not a surprise after Allen's death and with the rise of Rocket Lab, Relativity Space and  Firefly on the small launcher side & SpaceX, Blue Origin on the large reusable side.

 

A demo launch of Pegasus XL is still boarded.

 

GeekWire...

 

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Stratolaunch space venture sharply scales back its operations, months after Paul Allen’s death

 

Stratolaunch, the Seattle-based space venture created by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen seven years ago, says its discontinuing its programs to develop a new type of rocket engine and a new line of rockets.

The company said it would continue work on the worlds largest airplane, which is designed to serve as a flying launch pad for rockets. Last week, Stratolaunch put its 385-foot-wide, twin-fuselage plane through a high-speed taxi test that many saw as a precursor for its first test flight at Mojave Air and Space Port.
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The dramatic turn of events comes three months after Allens death.

Employees were told today that more than 50 people were being laid off as a result of the streamlining strategy, according to two sources who arent employed by Stratolaunch but are familiar with the operation. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told GeekWire that about 20 employees were staying on to work on the plane and prepare for the flight test.
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[Jim K Global Moderator]

It flew...

 

 

 

 

 

[DocM]

Now, all it needs is an efficient medium-class  launch vehicle. 

[Beittil]

I still think it's ugly as f... 

 

Do hope it will some day see a rocket attached to it, but I highly doubt it ever will. 

[DocM]

Once Paul Allen died the handwriting was on the wall...

 

 

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1T12FD

 

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Exclusive: Space firm founded by billionaire Paul Allen closing operations - sources

 

SEATTLE/ORLANDO, Fla.(Reuters) - Stratolaunch Systems Corporation, the space company founded by late billionaire and Microsoft Corp co-founder Paul Allen, is closing operations, cutting short ambitious plans to challenge traditional aerospace companies in a new "space race," four people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The company, a unit of Allen's privately held investment vehicle Vulcan Inc, had been developing a portfolio of launch vehicles including the world's largest airplane by wingspan to launch satellites and eventually humans into space.

 

Allen, who founded Seattle-based Stratolaunch in 2011, died at age 65 in October.

 

Vulcan has been exploring a possible sale of Stratolaunch's assets and intellectual property, according to one of the four sources and also a fifth person.

 

A representative of Stratolaunch Systems Corp initially said the company did not "have any news or announcements to share at this time." Later, she said by phone: "Stratolaunch remains operational" while declining further comment.

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A spokesman for Northrop Grumman Corp, which owns Scaled Composites, the main contractor for Stratolaunch's carrier plane, declined to discuss the company's operations. Stratolaunch aimed to launch Northrop's small-payload Pegasus from Stratolaunch's carrier plane in 2020.

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[Beittil]

Shame, but alas... Totally no surprise there

[DocM]

Roc is up for sale.

 

Asking price: $400m

 

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/06/14/vulcan-selling-stratolaunch-worlds-largest-airplane-for-400-million.html

 

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There are number of possible suitors for Stratolaunch, especially the most active space industry trio of billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson.

While its unknown if either Musk's SpaceX or Bezos' Blue Origin are pursuing a purchase of Stratolaunch, people familiar told CNBC that the company has spoken to Branson about selling to his Virgin Group. Branson's conglomerate owns three space companies: Virgin Galactic, The SpaceShip Company and Virgin Orbit. As the former two were built using similar technology to Stratolaunch – all three have a similar manufacturing heritage, as they all originated from designs prototype aerospace manufacturer Scaled Composites – Virgin may be an ideal destination for Stratolaunch.
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[Beittil]

"There are number of possible suitors for Stratolaunch, especially the most active space industry trio of billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson."

 

This is just bullshiting and click baitinf of the 1st class. Branson already easy has 2 friggin carrier aircraft for both rockets and space planes. Bezos is trying to build a normal rocket and Musk... Well no explanation needed. 

 

I'll eat my friggin socks if any of these are even slightest bit of interested in the Roc. 

 

1 flight it had... Hello Mojave boneyard, here i come... No sane mind wants this, lets face it... This project died October last year when Allen did. Next. 

[DocM]

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MOJAVE, Calif. (Stratolaunch PR) — Stratolaunch LLC has transitioned ownership and is continuing regular operations.  Our near-term launch vehicle development strategy focuses on providing customizable, reusable, and affordable rocket-powered testbed vehicles and associated flight services. 

 

As we continue on our mission, Stratolaunch will bring the carrier aircraft test and operations program fully in-house.  We thank Vulcan Inc and Scaled Composites for turning an ambitious idea into a flight-proven aircraft.

For more information, please visit www.stratolaunch.com/news-and-features. Please also follow @Stratolaunch on Twitter for the latest updates.