Space launch solutions company Stratolaunch has been sold, according to an announcement made last Friday. The future of Stratolaunch has been uncertain since the death of founder Paul Allen in 2018, with reports surfacing last June that the company might be closing after unsuccessful attempts to sell it. The identity of the new owner and the details of the transaction have not been released.
“Stratolaunch LLC has transitioned ownership and is continuing regular operations,” the company said in a statement. “Our near-term launch vehicle development strategy focuses on providing customizable, reusable, and affordable rocket-powered testbed vehicles and associated flight services. As we continue on our mission, Stratolaunch will bring the carrier aircraft test and operations program fully in-house.”
As previously reported by AVweb, Stratolaunch’s eponymous aerial launch platform flew for the first time last April. The six-engine Stratolaunch aircraft, which has a wingspan of 385 feet, was a joint project with Scaled Composites. It was designed to carry payloads of up to 500,000 pounds to altitudes of around 35,000 feet for launch.
“The identity of the new owner and the details of the transaction have not been released.”
Pretty safe bet that there’s some Chinese money in there somewhere.