Microsoft co-founder plans massive new plane for space launch

The huge plane, which will integrate parts from old Boeing 747s with new composite materials, will be designed to launch a multi-stage booster into orbit with "greater safety, cost effectiveness and flexibility" than ever before, Allen said. Plans call for the first flight within five years.
The announcement of the new space system came just months after the US space agency NASA shut down the space shuttle project as it transitions to private companies for much of its space travel needs.
Allen's company Stratolaunch Systems will work with legendary aircraft designer Bert Rutan to build the massive aircraft. The two previously collaborated on the development of SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 was the first privately-built manned vehicle to go into orbit.
"I have long dreamed about taking the next big step in private space flight after the success of SpaceShipOne - to offer a flexible, orbital space delivery system," Allen said. "We are at the dawn of radical change in the space launch industry. Stratolaunch Systems is pioneering an innovative solution that will revolutionize space travel."
The twin-fuselage plane will use six 747 engines, weigh in at around 544,000 kilograms, and have a wingspan of 116 metres. It requires a runway for takeoff and landing of 3,650 metres. The massive aircraft will carry under the center of its wing a multistage booster weighing up to 222,250 kilograms.//DPA