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Stratolaunch Systems
35°02′53.6064″N 118°08′31.9524″W / 35.048224000°N 118.142209000°W
Stratolaunch LLC is a private American aerospace company providing high-speed flight test services. It was founded in 2011 to develop a new air-launched space transportation system, with its corporate headquarters in Seattle. The company and development project were announced in December 2011 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan, who had previously collaborated on SpaceShipOne. After ten years, the company was acquired in 2019 by Cerberus Capital Management and has continued privately funded, operating as a non-traditional defense contractor.
The project began with three components: a carrier aircraft being built by Scaled Composites (model Stratolaunch, called "Roc"), a multi-stage payload launch vehicle launched at high altitude into space from under the carrier aircraft, plus a mating and integration system by Dynetics. However, only the carrier aircraft was fully developed by the time of Paul Allen's death in late 2018.
The carrier aircraft first flew in April 2019, at the Mojave Air and Space Port, reaching 15,000 ft (4,600 m) and 190 mph (305 km/h) during a 2 hour 29 minute flight.
Stratolaunch underwent a change of ownership and direction when Jean Floyd took over as CEO in 2019, reacquiring staff and growing to 87 employees by the beginning of 2020. Dr. Zachary Krevor has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Stratolaunch, LLC since March 2022. Prior to becoming President and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Krevor was the Vice President of Engineering at Stratolaunch Systems Corporation.
The project was started in 2010, almost a year before the public announcement was made. Development costs were initially projected to be US$300 million in 2011. Dynetics actually began work in early 2010 and had approximately 40 employees working on the project as of December 2011[update]. Dynetics was cited as "responsible for the total systems engineering, integration and testing, which includes aerodynamics, loads, and interfaces". It was announced in 2011 that SpaceX was also already working on the design for the rocket-powered space vehicle components of the system, the Falcon 9 Air.
The collaboration with SpaceX ended by 2012. In a 2015 interview, former president Chuck Beames (2014–2016) explained, "SpaceX was a partner, and like a lot of partnerships, it was just determined that it was best we went our separate ways – different ambitions. We were interested in their engines, but Elon and his team, they're about going to Mars, and we're just in a different place, and so I think it was a parting of the ways that was amicable".
Stratolaunch Systems completed its first 88,000 sq ft (8,200 m2) composites production building in October 2012. In February 2013, the company completed construction of its 92,640 sq ft (8,607 m2) carrier assembly hangar and operations facilities at the Mojave Air and Space Port.
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Stratolaunch Systems
35°02′53.6064″N 118°08′31.9524″W / 35.048224000°N 118.142209000°W
Stratolaunch LLC is a private American aerospace company providing high-speed flight test services. It was founded in 2011 to develop a new air-launched space transportation system, with its corporate headquarters in Seattle. The company and development project were announced in December 2011 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan, who had previously collaborated on SpaceShipOne. After ten years, the company was acquired in 2019 by Cerberus Capital Management and has continued privately funded, operating as a non-traditional defense contractor.
The project began with three components: a carrier aircraft being built by Scaled Composites (model Stratolaunch, called "Roc"), a multi-stage payload launch vehicle launched at high altitude into space from under the carrier aircraft, plus a mating and integration system by Dynetics. However, only the carrier aircraft was fully developed by the time of Paul Allen's death in late 2018.
The carrier aircraft first flew in April 2019, at the Mojave Air and Space Port, reaching 15,000 ft (4,600 m) and 190 mph (305 km/h) during a 2 hour 29 minute flight.
Stratolaunch underwent a change of ownership and direction when Jean Floyd took over as CEO in 2019, reacquiring staff and growing to 87 employees by the beginning of 2020. Dr. Zachary Krevor has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Stratolaunch, LLC since March 2022. Prior to becoming President and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Krevor was the Vice President of Engineering at Stratolaunch Systems Corporation.
The project was started in 2010, almost a year before the public announcement was made. Development costs were initially projected to be US$300 million in 2011. Dynetics actually began work in early 2010 and had approximately 40 employees working on the project as of December 2011[update]. Dynetics was cited as "responsible for the total systems engineering, integration and testing, which includes aerodynamics, loads, and interfaces". It was announced in 2011 that SpaceX was also already working on the design for the rocket-powered space vehicle components of the system, the Falcon 9 Air.
The collaboration with SpaceX ended by 2012. In a 2015 interview, former president Chuck Beames (2014–2016) explained, "SpaceX was a partner, and like a lot of partnerships, it was just determined that it was best we went our separate ways – different ambitions. We were interested in their engines, but Elon and his team, they're about going to Mars, and we're just in a different place, and so I think it was a parting of the ways that was amicable".
Stratolaunch Systems completed its first 88,000 sq ft (8,200 m2) composites production building in October 2012. In February 2013, the company completed construction of its 92,640 sq ft (8,607 m2) carrier assembly hangar and operations facilities at the Mojave Air and Space Port.