Paul Allen's Vulcan Aerospace Ready To Stretch Its Wings

摘要

When Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan announced plans in late 2011 to establish Stratolaunch Systems Corp., a firm charged with developing the world's largest aircraft with six 747 engines and a 116-meter wingspan to send rockets into low Earth orbit, space industry observers called the plan audacious. Few people realized at the time that Allen's plan to revolutionize space transportation extends far beyond Stratolaunch Systems. "Paul's vision is to solve a problem that has long plagued the space business," said Charles Beames, Vulcan Aerospace president and Stratolaunch Systems executive director. "Access to space is really expensive and terribly inconvenient."