Stratolaunch Abandons Launch Vehicle Program for World's Largest Airplane

space.com ^ | January 23, 2019 04:19pm ET | Jeff Foust, SpaceNews Writer |

[BenLurkin]

Stratolaunch is best known for its development of a giant aircraft that will be the largest in the world by wingspan. The twin-fuselage plane, with six jet engines, has carried out a series of taxi tests at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, most recently one Jan. 9 where it reached a speed of nearly 220 kilometers per hour. In that test the plane's nose gear briefly left the ground in a "rotation authority maneuver" that suggested the plane was nearly ready for its first flight.

…

Stratolaunch didn't formally announce its launch vehicle development efforts until August 2018, when it said it was developing what it called the Medium Launch Vehicle, capable of placing up to 3,400 kilograms into low Earth orbit with a 2022 first launch. The company also said it had concepts for a larger vehicle, able to place 6,000 kilograms into LEO, as well as a crewed reusable spaceplane.

Those vehicles would be powered by an engine the company was developing called PGA, which took its name from the initials of founder Paul G. Allen. The engine, using liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants, was intended to produce up to 200,000 pounds-force of thrust. In November, Stratolaunch said it successfully test-fired the preburner, the smaller of two combustion chambers in the staged combustion engine.

However, the death of Allen in October from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma raised questions about the future of Stratolaunch, which was effectively entirely funded by him. Allen's holding company, Vulcan Inc., said at the time that Allen drew up plans prior to his death for continuing his various ventures, but did not disclose them.

[Trumpet 1]

So Like, Do we still get to get the new Spruce Goose?! It just sort of sounds like fun till some other launch vehicle comes along.

[Yo-Yo]

[Empire_of_Liberty]

So that’s where little airplanes come from!

[odawg]

“Do we still get to get the new Spruce Goose?”

The plane will still be developed and used. Just a different launch vehicle.

[OrioleFan]

The stress on that center wing must be enormous.

[mfish13]

Howard was flying.

[867V309]

The stress on that center wing must be enormous.

seems like a brace toward the tail would counter a lot of torque and act as an additional airfoil.

[Larry Lucido]

“I’m sorry, your ticket is for the other side. You’ll need to exit and proceed very carefully across the wing to your seat. Please use the cable-grip.”

[bunkerhill7]

Same engineers that designed this lulu also designed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
A perfect CG fulcrum = twist and shout like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFzu6CNtqec

[UNGN]

That’s too bad. When I saw the first requests at work for performance data for PW4000’s @ 40K feet at a 45 degree angle I did some research on google and saw they were pretty far along (about 3-4 years ago) cutting up two 747-400’s and using up the world’s supply of carbon fiber.

They were getting real close to lift off. Maybe Orbital will buy it for pennies on the thousand dollar bills.

[logi_cal869]

I said the same thing long ago. I’m not surprised that they abandoned it. That design was very poorly engineered.

Vehicle failure was my tragic prediction.

[hattend]

Plane lost it’s funding with Allen’s death.

Too bad, I would have made the trip from Alaska to watch the first flight.

[noiseman]

I don’t see the problem. Exactly the same configuration as White Knight Two (though much larger), and it flies just fine. Don’t ever doubt Burt Rutan.

[Wuli]

I do not understand why the builders of this plane think it is “better” or advantageous. To what purpose??

[bert]

bet its a bitch to land

[KC Burke]

I happened to be going by that hanger about a year ago the first time it was rolled out fully assembled. I was very ungainly but impressive.

[Yo-Yo]

I do not understand why the builders of this plane think it is “better” or advantageous. To what purpose??

It is designed to launch payloads into space.

The majority of the fuel of a conventional rocket is used to get the rocket from the ground up to around 20,000 feet, where the first stage is then jettisoned and the second (and third, if equipped) stage puts the payload into orbit.

This plane is designed to carry a rocket up to 20,000 feet then launch it, in essence becoming the 'first stage.' Being an airplane, it can then return to base and be used over and over again, saving money.

Here is an artist's drawing of what it would look like:

[Paal Gulli]

They conducted their first successful flight on 13 April.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/27427/stratolaunchs-roc-the-worlds-largest-aircraft-has-flown-for-the-first-time