--- title: "Stratolaunch’s Roc, The World’s Largest Aircraft, Has Flown For The First Time (Updated)" description: "This is a landmark event in aviation history and something the late billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen dreamed of seeing." date: "2019-04-13" modified: "2019-04-13" authors: - name: "Tyler Rogoway" job_title: "Editor-in-Chief" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/27427/stratolaunchs-roc-the-worlds-largest-aircraft-has-flown-for-the-first-time" categories: - "Americas" - "Around The Globe" - "Civil Aviation" - "News & Features" - "U.S. Homeland" tags: - "first flight" - "Mojave Air and Space Port" - "Paul Allen" - "Roc" - "Space Launch" - "Stratolaunch" - "World's Largest Aircraft" --- # Stratolaunch’s Roc, The World’s Largest Aircraft, Has Flown For The First Time (Updated) ![]() *www.twz.com* Stratolaunch, the space launch company founded in part by late billionaire and Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen, has sent its gigantic Roc aircraft into the skies for the very first time. The flight occurred this morning at 6:46AM from Stratolaunch's home at Mojave Air And Space Port in California. It was chased by a Cessna Citation jet during the inaugural flight. Roc now takes the throne as [the world's largest aircraft]() with a 385-foot wingspan, a gross takeoff weight of 1,300,000 pounds, and powered by six Pratt & Whitney PW4056 Turbofan engines normally found on the 747-400. Combined, these engines put out a whopping 340,500 pounds of thrust. The Roc—it is nicknamed after the [huge bird from Greek mythology]()—will haul rocket payloads up into the sky before sending them on their way into space. The idea is the craft acts as a completely reusable and flexibly deployable first stage, which could dramatically cut down the cost of putting payloads into space and do so in a highly flexible manner not offered by traditional launch-pad based systems. https://twitter.com/_/status/1117066129577369602 https://twitter.com/_/status/1117067150169034752 https://twitter.com/_/status/1117074740588482560 https://twitter.com/_/status/1117068291845963777 We have kept a close eye on the program, which has seen its scope somewhat curtailed since the death of its primary financial backer and visionary Paul Allen. A whole [family of space-launch vehicles]() was intended to be carrier by Roc, now that has been paired down to just one, at least for the time being. As we [have explained in the past](), the Pentagon is likely to be Stratolaunch's most interested and lucrative customer. https://twitter.com/_/status/1083489634431074304 https://twitter.com/_/status/1117097405315371008 https://twitter.com/_/status/1117100985879388160 Roc is still in the air at the time of publishing. We will update this post with more information as it comes available about this exciting landmark in aviation history. ***UPDATE: 9:25am PDT—*** Roc has safely landed back at Mojave Air And Space Port. Congratulations to Stratolaunch and all of their partners on a successful and history making first flight! https://twitter.com/_/status/1117103717243740160 https://twitter.com/_/status/1117103445671075841 ***Update: 11:46am PDT—*** We have some high-resolution images of the flight to share: ![message-editor%2F1555181279245-acaaaa.jpg]() **Matt Hartman/Shorealonefilms.com** ![message-editor%2F1555181293708-adccc.jpg]() **Matt Hartman/Shorealonefilms.com** *Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com* ## Author Tyler’s passion is the study of military technology, strategy, as well as foreign policy, and he has fostered a dominant voice on those topics in the defense and national security space. Tyler was the creator of the hugely popular defense site *Foxtrot Alpha* before developing *TWZ*, which he continues to lead as the Editor-In-Chief to this day. ### Author social links [Twitter]()