Vulcan Is Looking For A Buyer For The Stratolaunch Aircraft

The Stratolaunch aircraft, developed to launch small payloads into space from a conventional runway, is being offered for sale by Vulcan, the holding company founded by the late Paul Allen.

Stratolaunch, which has flown once, is being offered for $400 million. The price includes the airplane, intellectual property, and associated facilities, according to a report from CNBC.

Neither Stratolaunch or Vulcan would comment on the rumors of a proposed sale, saying that the company "remains operational. We will provide an update when there is news to share."

But the company has been downsizing during the first half of this year, and much of the workforce has been laid off even with a valid contract to launch a small rocket for Northrop in 2020. Reuters reported last month that the company is in the process of closing down.

CNBC said there are several potential buyers for the world's-largest airplane, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Sir Richard Branson. Branson's Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company use technology similar to that used in the Stratolaunch system, and all have a pedigree that can be traced to Scaled Composites ... so at least some insiders believe that Virgin might be at the top of the list.

But Branson is not interested in paying $400 million for the airplane, according to a person familiar with the situation. Branson reportedly said he'd buy Stratolaunch for $1 ... yes, that's one dollar.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report