aviation

Fans were rapt at the release of the first trailer for Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker last week, but they won't have to wait long to see just how much human ingenuity has grown to mirror some of the flying structures of the famous franchise.

Spectators in the Mojave Desert were amazed as the largest plane on the planet—built and named for the company Stratolaunch—took to the skies for the first time. The flight comes eight years after construction on the plane began. The structure weighs over 500 thousand pounds and bears a whopping 385 foot wingspan.