Stratolaunch Makes History with World’s Largest Aircraft and Hypersonic Test Flight

Jakarta –

The Stratolaunch Company has the largest airplane in the world that is Stratolaunch Rock. Its size is wider than a football field.

Stratolaunch previously launched the TA-1 hypersonic flying vehicle using the world’s largest aircraft, the Statolaunch Roc, on March 9, 2024. Aircraft Stratolaunch Rock with a wingspan of 117 meters, longer than a football field.

The Rocket took off from Mojave Air and Space Airport at Rutan Field, California, with a TA-1 vehicle attached to its undercarriage. The TA-1 is an arrow-shaped flying vehicle, designed as a private hypersonic test platform. They said the test was successful and the TA-1 space vehicle almost reached the hypersonic speed of Mach 5, which is 5 times faster than sound.

Judging from IFL Science, Saturday (4/5/2024), the success of this aircraft cannot be separated from the unique design of the aircraft. With a wingspan of 117 meters, the Stratolaunch Rock is considered to be the world’s largest aircraft in operation today. Its wingspan is longer than a football field, allowing this aircraft to carry heavy loads to high altitudes.

When empty, this twin-body aircraft weighs 226,796 kilograms and requires 6 Pratt & Whitney PW4056 engines to fly. In total, its maximum takeoff weight is 589,670 kilograms.

This achievement is an important milestone in the journey Stratolaunch which was founded in 2011 by Burt Rutan and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, with the aim of developing orbital rockets. Despite the winding road, Stratolaunch managed to make new history in the space industry with the first flight of this hypersonic vehicle.

The success of this flight opened the door for further development of hypersonic technology. With continued support and innovation, Stratolaunch Roc is expected to continue to lead the way into a new era of space exploration and hypersonic technology.

* This article was written by Fadhila Khairina Fachri, a participant in detikcom’s Merdeka Campus Certificate Entry Program.

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