• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechPaul Allen

Gigantic Plane Backed by Billionaire Paul Allen Edges Closer to Flight

Barb Darrow
By
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
Barb Darrow
By
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 31, 2017, 8:44 PM ET

Stratolaunch, the gigantic aircraft backed by tech billionaire Paul Allen, rolled out of its hangar for the first time Wednesday, marking an important milestone for the project in its quest to reach the edge of the atmosphere.

The aircraft is indeed huge. It’s wingspan is 385 feet, or nearly double that of a Boeing (BA) 787 Dreamliner. Its length is 238 feet, 12 feet longer than the Dreamliner, with a tail that is 50-feet tall, or nearly the height of a five-story building. Here is a picture of the rollout.

The goal is for Stratolaunch to carry satellites close to space and then launch them before returning to Earth.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

To get to this point, technicians had to take down the scaffolding that supported the craft’s construction and make sure the Stratolaunch’s 28 wheels could support its 500,000-lb. weight. It was designed to handle a maximum takeoff weight, including cargo, of 1.3 million lbs., according to Stratolaunch CEO Jean Floyd.

Stratolaunch Systems

The next steps? Ground and flight testing will take place at the Mojave Air and Space Port over the coming months, Floyd wrote.

Related: Gigantic Aircraft Backed by Tech Billionaire Paul Allen will Fly this year

Allen who made billions of dollars after starting Microsoft (MSFT) with Bill Gates in 1975, founded Stratolaunch in 2010 with a goal of making low-orbit launches more mainstream.

For more about space, watch:

Allen is not the only tech executive with aerospace ambitions. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla (TSLA) founded SpaceX to carry cargo to the International Space Station and eventually to transport passengers into space. And Amazon (AMZN)founder Jeff Bezos is behind Blue Origin, a company that plans to use less expensive, reusable rockets to transport cargo.

About the Author
Barb Darrow
By Barb Darrow
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Illustration of OpenAI logo and Codex
AICoding
OpenAI’s Codex and Anthropic’s Claude spark coding revolution as developers say they’ve abandoned traditional programming
By Beatrice NolanFebruary 13, 2026
2 hours ago
Startups & VentureIPOs
SpaceX said to weigh dual-class IPO shares to empower Musk
By Ryan Gould, Edward Ludlow and BloombergFebruary 13, 2026
6 hours ago
broker
AISoftware
Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it’s happening in a way nobody imagined
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 13, 2026
7 hours ago
Investingprivate equity
Exclusive:  The Walton family–funded PE firm that owns Rapha Cycling Club presses pause on all new investments
By Jessica MathewsFebruary 13, 2026
9 hours ago
Big TechGen Z
Analog-obsessed Gen Zers are buying $40 app blockers to limit their social media use and take a break from the ‘slot machine in your pocket’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 13, 2026
9 hours ago
mustafa suleyman
AIMicrosoft
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloFebruary 13, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Some folks on Wall Street think yesterday’s U.S. jobs number is ‘implausible’ and thus due for a downward correction
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 12, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Nothing short of self-sabotage’: Watchdog warns about national debt setting new record in just 4 years
By Tristan BoveFebruary 11, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
North America
‘I gave another girl to Kimbal’: Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s honey-trap plan targeting Elon Musk through his brother
By Eva Roytburg and Jessica MathewsFebruary 13, 2026
12 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
Something big is happening in AI — and most people will be blindsided
By Matt ShumerFebruary 11, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Ex–Google exec says degrees in law and medicine are a waste of time because they take so long to complete that AI will catch up by graduation
By Preston ForeFebruary 11, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Crypto
Bitcoin reportedly sent to wallet associated with Nancy Guthrie’s ransom letter providing potential clue in investigation
By Carlos GarciaFebruary 11, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.