Hypersonic aircraft Stratolaunch TA-1 conducted a test flight and reached a speed of about Mach 5
California-based startup Stratolaunch has completed the first flight of its Talon-A hypersonic aircraft with an active engine. The startup’s ultimate goal is to develop a reusable version of the aircraft capable of flying at 5 times the speed of sound.
The massive Roc launch vehicle took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California on Saturday, carrying TA-1. The aircraft then released a hypersonic vehicle at an altitude of about 10,700 meters, from where it raced through the sky at a speed approaching Mach 5.
“While I am unable to share the specific altitude and speeds that TA-1 achieved due to proprietary agreements with our customers, we are pleased to report that in addition to meeting all primary and customer flight objectives, we achieved high supersonic speeds approaching Mach 5 and collected a tremendous amount of data and achieved incredible value for our customers,” said Stratolaunch President and CEO Zachary Crevor.
The company will use the data obtained for its upcoming TA-2 flight, a reusable version of the hypersonic aircraft. Its first flight is scheduled for the end of this year. Future versions of the Talon-A aircraft will have a rocket engine and will be able to carry payloads at hypersonic speeds. The company also plans to develop a larger hypersonic aircraft called the Talon-Z and a Black Ice spaceplane that will carry payloads and possibly passengers into Earth orbit.
Stratolaunch was founded in 2011 to use the Roc airplane to launch Orbital ATK’s Pegasus XL rocket into space (similar to how Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo is currently operating). After the death of founder Paul Allen in 2018, the company changed its direction to focus on the development, deployment, and flight of hypersonic vehicles.
In December 2021, Stratolaunch announced a contract with the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency to provide a testbed for developing strategies to defend against hypersonic threats. Stratolaunch tries to mimic these missile threats with its hypersonic vehicles, which fly at high altitudes and speeds, making it difficult to issue warnings before an attack.
