The world has received its first glimpse of a gigantic airplane that will serve as an airborne launch pad for putting satellites - and eventually people - into orbit.
The aircraft, which has a wingspan of 385 feet (117 metres) and will be powered by six 747-class engines, is currently being assembled at Mojave, California.
Dubbed the Roc, the megaplane is the brainchild Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who is creating it under start-up firm Stratolaunch Systems.
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| Rocs 385 feet (117 metres) wingspan compares to 320 feet for H-4 Hercules and 225 feet for Boeing 747-8 |
Rare stills taken from footage shot for a recent news story by KGET 17, a Bakersfield TV station, show its huge size, according to a report by Guy Norris in Aviation Week.
The images show one of the two twin fuselage sections under assembly.
Initially, the system is intended to deliver satellites weighing up to about 13,500lbs (6,124 kg) into orbits between 112 miles and 1,243 miles (180 km and 2000 km) above Earth.
The plane will climb to 30,000 feet and launch a rocket at high altitude, avoiding the huge fuel costs of launching from Earth.
In the news report, Scaled Composites president Kevin Mickey says the company has so far built 'roughly 200,000lbs of composite structure' for the vehicle.
A debut test flight is expected in about a year with launch operations beginning in 2018.
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| Each of the twin fuselages of the Roc is 238 feet long and, when complete, will be supported by 12 main landing gear wheels and two nose gear wheels |
'Dream Chaser seemed to be the logical way to go,' Stratolaunch Executive Director Charles Beames said in October.
In November, Sierra Nevada Corporation confirmed that it was working with Stratolaunch Systems to launch a the scaled-down version of Dream Chaser launched into orbit.
The Roc's 385 feet (117 metres) wingspan compares to 320 feet for the Hughes H-4 Hercules and 225 feet for the Boeing 747-8.
Each of the twin fuselages of the Roc is 238 feet long and, when complete, will be supported by 12 main landing gear wheels and two nose gear wheels.
Stratolaunch has produced computer-generated images and videos of the Roc, but the TV footage is the first time images of the real vehicle have been shown.
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