Shelves Launch Vehicle And Rocket Engine Programs

A few months after the passing of its founder Paul Allen, Stratolaunch has shelved several projects in an effort to streamline its operations.

While the company will continue to work on the Stratolaunch aircraft for horizontal launch operations, it has dropped development on a new type of rocket engine as well as launch vehicles it had on the drawing board, according to a report form GeekWire.

“Stratolaunch is ending the development of their family of launch vehicles and rocket engine. We are streamlining operations, focusing on the aircraft and our ability to support a demonstration launch of the Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL air-launch vehicle,” the company said in a statement emailed to the online publication. “We are immensely proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to first flight in 2019.”

More than 50 people have been notified that they are losing their jobs due to the restructuring. About 20 are staying on to ready the Stratolaunch airplane for flight testing, according to an anonymous inside source.

The company hopes to have the enormous airplane certified to carry launch payloads by 2020.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report