Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Paul Allen's Satellite Launch Startup Hits Roadblock

An ambitious effort by Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, to create a new vehicle to deliver large satellites into orbit has reportedly been put into limbo, according to a report from the WSJ. Paul Allen's startup, Stratolaunch, being run as part of Vulcan Aerospace, had been working on creating an air launch system capable of transporting payloads to low Earth orbit, using "carrier aircraft" as mobile launch ranges. The report says that overall market shifts--including the shift to smaller satellite payloads, and ability to piggyback multiple satellites onto existing rocket launches--have derailed the startups original plans.