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Using a 25-Ton Drone to Shoot Satellites into Space

The Ravn has a 60-foot wingspan and weighs 55,000 pounds.

An Alabama-based defense contractor recently pitched the Defense Department on using the largest drone in the world to shoot satellites into space.

The unmanned aerial vehicle, called the Ravn X Autonomous Launch Vehicle, would carry satellites up to 220 pounds.

After reaching the appropriate location and altitude, a rocket deployed from the drone would take the satellite into low-earth orbit, and the Ravn would return to its hanger.

Aevum, which was founded in 2016 and reports over $1 billion in defense contracts, claims the aircraft is designed to put satellites into space every 2.5 hours.

The Ravn has a 60-foot wingspan and weighs 55,000 pounds.


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