Mane Engineering Issue 7 - July 2017 | Page 6

6 | MANE ENGINEERING | JULY 2017

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tratolaunch emerges

At 238’ long and with a wingspan of 385’, Stratolaunch will use its six Pratt & Whitney PW4056 engines to reach low Earth orbit (LEO) and deliver payloads of up to approximately 550,000Ibs into space. The Stratolaunch is designed for a maximum take-off weight of 1,300,000lbs. Stratolaunch moves all that weight across the ground on 28 wheels. Instead of taking off from a launchpad, which requires lots of fuel, Stratolaunch will give rockets a head start by first carrying them up into the sky.