News Stratolaunch

[Thunder Chicken]

https://www.geekwire.com/2019/stratolaunch-layoffs/

This doesn't sound good. I think the momentum and vision died with Paul Allen. Does Stratolaunch have any other launch customers?


Would love to see Stratolaunch fly, but I think they're swirling around the drain now.

 

[Donamy]

Maybe they'll do a "Spruce Goose" flight and that's it.

 

[boogabooga]

They can launch a Pegasus just fine from an L1011 already. I'm sure that if that needs to be replaced at some point, another retired airliner conversion will be much cheaper.

Perhaps the stratolaunch aircraft will end up like the An-225, once intended for space hardware, but ending up as a for-hire oversize load freighter.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Perhaps the stratolaunch aircraft will end up like the An-225, once intended for space hardware, but ending up as a for-hire oversize load freighter.

Except the AN-225 has an interior cargo compartment, unlike Stratolaunch. A dedicated cargo infrastructure would need to be developed for it. Not seeing that as a big business model.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Would love to see Stratolaunch fly, but I think they're swirling around the drain now.

Yay, I was wrong! First flight!

Looking for better video.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Would love to see Stratolaunch fly, but I think they're swirling around the drain now.

Well, they flew, but that may be about it. Swirling faster and faster around the drain and you can hear the loud slurping sound now:


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-exploration-stratolaunch-exclus-idUSKCN1T12FD