Airlaunch

Airlaunch refers to the practice of launching a rocket from an aircraft in flight rather than from a ground-based launch pad. In an airlaunched system, the carrier aircraft carries the rocket beneath its fuselage or on a pylon until a predetermined altitude, at which point the rocket is released. After release, the rocket’s engines ignite and it proceeds toward its orbital or suborbital trajectory. This approach can reduce the need for extensive ground infrastructure and allows launch from a variety of locations and flight paths.

Historically, airlaunch has been used to test and deploy small to medium-sized payloads. The Pegasus rocket, developed by Orbital Sciences, is a notable early example that relied on a carrier aircraft, such as a modified jet, to reach altitude before staging. In more recent years, programs have included Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne, a two-stage rocket launched from a modified Boeing 747, as well as concepts pursued by Stratolaunch Systems using its large carrier aircraft to deploy air-launched rockets. These efforts illustrate different carrier aircraft configurations and rocket designs within the airlaunch paradigm.

The advantages of airlaunch include reduced gravity and atmospheric losses in the initial phase of flight, potential access to favorable launch corridors, and the ability to bypass some ground-based weather constraints. Limitations include limited payload capacity compared with ground-launched systems, higher per-launch costs due to the need for specialized aircraft and integration, increased mechanical and flight-safety complexity, and dependency on weather conditions and airspace restrictions along the flight path. Airlaunch is frequently seen as suitable for small satellite missions, experimental tests, and niche launch scenarios rather than large-scale, heavy-lift missions.