MOJAVE DESERT, CALIFORNIA — The Stratolaunch aircraft flew over the Mojave Desert for more than two hours on Saturday for the first time, Reuters reports.<br /><br />The Stratolaunch plane is made up of two twin fuselages and massive wings. It is propelled by six Boeing 747 engines. <br /><br />The aircraft is wider than a football field due to its 117-meter wingspan.<br /><br />The plane reached speeds of up to 189 miles per hour and an altitude of 17,000 feet during its first flight, according to the New York Times.<br /><br />The aircraft is designed to carry rockets weighing up to 500,000 pounds into space and release them once it reaches 35,000 feet in altitude, Reuters reports.<br /><br />According to a Stratolaunch press release, the aircraft's reinforced center wing would be able to support multiple launch vehicles such as satellites and other payloads.<br /><br />According to the press release, the airplane would be an affordable alternative for deploying objects into space, with their mission to "make access to orbit as routine as catching a commercial airline flight."<br /><br />The company plans to launch its first rocket into space in 2020, at the earliest, according to Reuters.
