New Atlas

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Massive Stratolaunch aircraft hits 90 mph on road to maiden flight

Rich Haridy October 21, 2018

After successfully completing low-speed taxi testing earlier this year, the giant Stratolaunch aircraft successfully hit a new milestone recently, reaching 90 mph during its latest stage of runway testing. The announcement comes days after co-founder of the company Paul Allen passed away.

The Stratolaunch aircraft has passed another key milestone on the road to getting into the air

Space

Crewed spacecraft bound for ISS forced to make emergency ballistic descent

Anthony Wood October 11, 2018

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin were forced to make an unplanned descent through Earth's atmosphere today following a malfunction of their Soyuz launch vehicle. The crew has now touched down in Kazakhstan, where they are being attended by rescue personnel.

The Expedition 57 Soyuz rocket seen launching today from Baikonur Cosmodrome

Aircraft

Stratolaunch, the world's largest plane, speeds down the runway for the first time

Rich Haridy February 28, 2018

The gargantuan Stratolaunch dual-fuselage aircraft, with a wingspan of 385 ft (117 m), is one step closer to reaching the skies after it recently completed a second taxi test that saw it hit a speed of 46 mph (74 km/h) as it stormed down a runway in Mojave, California.

The giant Stratolaunch aircraft has now successfully completed two runway taxi tests reaching a top speed ...

Space

Rocket Lab announces window for next Electron launch

David Szondy November 29, 2017

Rocket Lab has announced a launch date for its next Electron rocket test. The 10-day launch window opens on December 8 in what will be the first flight of the commercial booster since its not entirely successful inaugural launch in May.

The Electron rocket will be tested for a second time in December

Aircraft

First tests of world's largest plane's massive engines

Rich Haridy September 20, 2017

Back in June, the world’s largest plane emerged from its hangar for the first time. Now the team has crossed another milestone by completing the first round of engine testing, continuing the groundwork needed to get the beast into the air in 2019.

Successful engine tests are another milestone crossed in the journey to getting this beast into the ...

Aircraft

Stratolaunch, the world's largest plane, emerges from its hangar for the first time

Rich Haridy May 31, 2017

The world's largest plane has just rolled out of its giant hangar for the first time. The Stratolaunch aircraft, which boasts a wingspan greater than a football field, is designed to carry rockets into the stratosphere, where they are released before continuing on into space.

The world's largest plane is out of its hangar for the first time

Space

NASA goes old school with SLS aerodynamic testing

Anthony Wood January 4, 2017

NASA is turning to a 56-year-old wind tunnel to put its next generation Space Launch System (SLS) rocket through its aerodynamic paces.

NASA engineers adjust a 10 ft model of the SLS rocket prior to aerodynamic testing

Space

DARPA announces Phase 2 of spaceplane project

Anthony Wood April 14, 2016

DARPA has announced the second phase of its ambitious XS-1 program. The agency is seeking to make access to space more regular and affordable by employing an entirely re-usable high-speed, sub-orbital automated spaceplane as the first stage of its launch vehicle.

Artist's impressions of the XS-1 launcher

Space

SpaceX releases chase plane footage of Falcon 9 barge landing

Anthony Wood April 9, 2016

SpaceX has released footage shot from a circling chase plane of the first successful barge landing of the Falcon 9 mainstage booster.

Space

NASA begins construction of SLS core stage mock-up

Anthony Wood February 12, 2016

NASA has begun the process of constructing a mock-up of the vast core section of its planned Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The simulated core will serve as a practice tool for NASA prior to the 2018 launch of the SLS.

Artist's impression of the SLS core mockup