World's biggest plane reveals new rocket lineup
- 6 years ago
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — The makers of the world's largest plane have recently unveiled exactly how it plans to deploy satellites into orbit.
According to a Stratolaunch Systems press release, its planned lineup of launch vehicles includes the Pegasus rocket, two medium-lift rockets, and a space plane.
The small-payload Pegasus XL has a 370-kilogram capacity for either single or triple configuration.
The Medium Launch Vehicle, or MLV, has a capacity of 3,400 kilograms. A three-core variant called the MLV-Heavy is being developed to carry nearly twice as much.
The reusable space plane, codenamed 'Black Ice', is presently just a design study. It's meant to carry cargo to and from Earth, though a follow-on variant will be crew-capable.
Rather than blasting off a launchpad, the rockets will be tethered to a massive twin-fuselage carrier, which boasts a wingspan of 385 feet. Once the plane gets to an altitude of 35,000 feet, the rockets drop and blast off into orbit.
Assuming everything goes smoothly for Stratolaunch, we might be able to see the first Pegasus rocket launch by 2020, followed by the MLV in 2022.
So far, the main aircraft carrier has done a taxi test, but has yet to go up in the air. It will also need to be tested and fitted for the rockets.
All in all, seems like the company's got a lot of work to do.
According to a Stratolaunch Systems press release, its planned lineup of launch vehicles includes the Pegasus rocket, two medium-lift rockets, and a space plane.
The small-payload Pegasus XL has a 370-kilogram capacity for either single or triple configuration.
The Medium Launch Vehicle, or MLV, has a capacity of 3,400 kilograms. A three-core variant called the MLV-Heavy is being developed to carry nearly twice as much.
The reusable space plane, codenamed 'Black Ice', is presently just a design study. It's meant to carry cargo to and from Earth, though a follow-on variant will be crew-capable.
Rather than blasting off a launchpad, the rockets will be tethered to a massive twin-fuselage carrier, which boasts a wingspan of 385 feet. Once the plane gets to an altitude of 35,000 feet, the rockets drop and blast off into orbit.
Assuming everything goes smoothly for Stratolaunch, we might be able to see the first Pegasus rocket launch by 2020, followed by the MLV in 2022.
So far, the main aircraft carrier has done a taxi test, but has yet to go up in the air. It will also need to be tested and fitted for the rockets.
All in all, seems like the company's got a lot of work to do.