Billionaire Paul Allen launches new commercial space company

[n2doc]

Seattle billionaire and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen is launching a new commercial space travel company that would carry tourists into orbit with the help of Southern California aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan.

The Huntsville, Ala., company, named Stratolaunch Systems, promises to bring “airport-like operations to the launch of commercial and government payloads and, eventually, human missions.” The company plans for a first flight within five years.

In a news conference Tuesday, Rutan and former NASA chief Mike Griffin said they joined Stratolaunch as board members. Along with Allen, the trio introduced the company’s novel idea of launching payloads into orbit aboard what would be the largest aircraft ever flown.

The plane is set to have a wingspan of 385 feet and be powered by six engines found on Boeing Co.’s 747 jumbo jets. The wingspan is 67 feet longer than Howard Hughes’ H-4 Hercules, dubbed Spruce Goose, and bigger than the length of a football field.

The plane will be developed by Mojave-based Scaled Composites, an aerospace design shop founded by Rutan in 1982.
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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/12/paul-allen-stratolaunch-systems-burt-rutan-space.html

[Muskypundit]

1. Why cant he put it in good ole seattle?

*looks outside*

Oh. That's why

[ThoughtCriminal]

2. Looks like somebody had a big pile of Popular Mechanics when growing up

From the World of Tomorrow.

Just have to wonder how it will evade the Sky Pirates.

[progressoid]

3. ...

[phantom power]

4. interesting, space-X is doing the booster

[bananas]

5. it can launch a crew of six to orbit

this may be one of the safest ways of getting people into space