Residents of California witnessed the flight of the gigantic Stratolaunch Roc aircraft, the wingspan of which exceeds the length of a football field. Daily Star reported this on December 12th.
A video featuring the aerial giant, reminiscent of a “science fiction spaceship,” appeared on social networks in early December, prompting user astonishment.
The airplane, built by aerospace firm Stratolaunch, possesses a unique structure resembling two joined fuselages. The Roc’s wingspan measures 117 meters; it is equipped with six engines from the Boeing 747, and the vehicle’s takeoff weight reaches 590 tons.
Stratolaunch Roc functions as an aerial launch platform for deploying satellites and the hypersonic Talon-A2 vehicle, capable of achieving speeds up to 6100 kilometers per hour.
Specialists note that this is not the giant’s inaugural public flight. Previously, it completed test missions, including a six-hour journey over the Mojave Desert in 2023. Furthermore, in 2024-2025, the Stratolaunch company successfully executed several trials, including the launch of a hypersonic craft from this aerial vehicle.
Concurrently, other experimental endeavors are advancing in the USA. For instance, in October 2025, the first flight of the X-59 supersonic jet, developed at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility, took place.
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