You are at netAirspace : Forum : Air and Space Forums : Space

Introducing Scaled Composite's newest design... Stratolaunch Systems is working on an innovative new approach to space transportation. Founded in 1982 by Burt Rutan, Scaled Composites has broad experience in air vehicle design, tooling, and manufacturing; specialty composite structure design, analysis, and fabrication; and developmental flight tests of space vehicles...

http://stratolaunchsystems.com/

Sounds really promising to me...

All composite White Knight like carrier with two 747 like fuselages and 6 engines carrying a SpaceX Falcon 9 - What's not to like?

This thing is going to be a monster!

bhmbaglock wrote:This thing is going to be a monster!

OK, so where are they going to take off and land that thing from? Edwards?

Only thing (currently) I have against that design is that there's no cockpit, no forward view from the left side. Forget getting a visual if Engines 1, 2 and/or 3 are having trouble (i.e. fire).

Looks cool enough otherwise.

Is Rutan the only one with two aircraft in the Smithsonian?

Allstarflyer wrote:Only thing (currently) I have against that design is that there's no cockpit, no forward view from the left side. Forget getting a visual if Engines 1, 2 and/or 3 are having trouble (i.e. fire).

Looks cool enough otherwise.

Cameras, no problem.

AndesSMF wrote:Is Rutan the only one with two aircraft in the Smithsonian?

Kelly Johnson, Frank Piasecki, Igor Sikorsky, and the Wright Brothers would certainly have at least that many I would think. Depending on your definition, Von Braun and others might qualify as well. Of course, as for living designers, Rutan would probably be it.

Queso wrote:

bhmbaglock wrote:This thing is going to be a monster!

OK, so where are they going to take off and land that thing from? Edwards?

I found a video and it shows takeoff from KSC.



Based on the range they indicate in the video, it sounds like they designed around the need to do an equatorial or near equatorial launch from there. They would also be able to do polar launches from the East Coast which would be unique. They were also specific about doing both cargo and manned missions.

One other item, they showed a 9200 mile range for a cargo mission so they may have some other plans for the carrier aircraft as well - probably going to make a variety of cargo containers that can dock like the rocket.

Here is the press conference video:



btw, according to his intro, Rutan has six aircraft in the Smithsonian.