Stratolaunch announces first successful hypersonic vehicle flight

Mar 12

Ryan Robertson Anchor

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer)

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On Saturday, March 9, Stratolaunch achieved a major milestone by successfully launching the Talon-A (TA-1) hypersonic vehicle for its first powered flight. In a statement, Stratolaunch announced that it released the hypersonic vehicle from the ROC, the world’s largest airplane with a wingspan of 385 feet and a payload of 500,000 pounds.

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The test flight occurred at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. As the ROC flew over the Pacific Ocean, it deployed the Talon-A vehicle.

TA-1 is not an ordinary air-launched craft; the Talon-A is powered by the Hadley rocket engine, generating 5,000 pounds of thrust and featuring an oxygen-rich staged combustion engine, as reported by Space.com. Additionally, the Talon-A is a product of American engineering, manufactured by the aerospace company Ursa Major.

This achievement marks a significant advancement for Stratolaunch. The company’s original founder, Paul Allen, who also co-founded Microsoft, passed away in 2018, missing the opportunity to witness the fruition of his efforts with the ROC’s maiden flight in 2019.

Following this event, the private equity firm Cerberus reportedly acquired the aircraft, marking a shift in Stratolaunch’s focus towards hypersonic vehicles.

The emphasis on hypersonic vehicles stems from increased competition in space, particularly with China and Russia making significant advancements in the hypersonic realm. While China continues to progress in the technology, the United States is striving to catch up.

According to National Defense Ma g azine, the U.S. Defense Department is currently favoring hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles.

During the test flight, the Talon-A flew for approximately three and a half minutes before descending into the ocean below. Stratolaunch clarified that this outcome was anticipated, as the vehicle was intended solely for testing purposes.

While Stratolaunch confirmed that the hypersonic vehicle achieved supersonic speeds during the test, reaching hypersonic speeds will be a goal for future endeavors. Plans are reportedly in place to conduct further tests with the TA-2 hypersonic vehicle later this year.

Tags: California, Department of Defense, Pacific Ocean, U.S. military

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

AN INCREDIBLE MILESTONE AS STRATOLAUNCH’S ROC, THE WORLD’S LARGEST AIRPLANE WITH A WHOPPING WINGSPAN STRETCHING 385 FEET, SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED THE TALON-A OR TA-1 HYPERSONIC VEHICLE FOR ITS FIRST POWERED FLIGHT.

IT ALL WENT DOWN AT THE MOJAVE AIR AND SPACE PORT IN CALIFORNIA. AS THE ROC SOARED OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN, IT RELEASED THE TALON-A VEHICLE.

TA-1 ISN’T YOUR RUN-OF-THE-MILL AIR-LAUNCHED CRAFT.

IT’S POWERED BY THE HADLEY ROCKET ENGINE, A BEAST BOASTING FIVE-THOUSAND POUNDS OF THRUST AND AN OXYGEN-RICH STAGED COMBUSTION ENGINE.

THE TALON-A IS THE PRODUCT OF AMERICAN ENGINEERING, AS IT’S MADE BY AEROSPACE COMPANY URSA MAJOR.

BUT LET’S CIRCLE BACK TO STRATOLAUNCH FOR A MOMENT.

THE HYPERSONIC VEHICLE FLIGHT IS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD FOR STRATOLAUNCH. THE COMPANY’S ORIGINAL FOUNDER DIED IN 2018, SO HE WASN’T ABLE TO SEE THE RESULTS OF HIS LABORS–THE ROC–TAKE FLIGHT IN 2019. SHORTLY AFTER THAT HISTORIC FLIGHT, THE PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM CERBERUS SHOWED UP ON THE SCENE AND BOUGHT THE PLANE. THAT’S ALSO WHEN THE COMPANY BEGAN FOCUSING ON HYPERSONIC VEHICLES AS WELL

NOW, WHY THE SUDDEN INTEREST IN HYPERSONIC TECH?

THE COMPETITION IN THE SPACE IS HEATING UP, CHINA AND RUSSIA MADE EARLY STRIDES IN THE HYPERSONIC GAME. CHINA CONTINUES TO DO SO. SO; THE US IS PLAYING CATCH UP. THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT APPEARS TO PREFER HYPERSONIC GLIDE VEHICLES AND CRUISE MISSILES AT THE MOMENT

AS FOR THE TALON-A, IT FLEW FOR NEARLY THREE AND A HALF MINUTES, ACCORDING TO STRATOLAUNCH, BEFORE FALLING INTO THE OCEAN BELOW, WHERE IT’S CURRENTLY ADDING TO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT BY PROVIDING MORE MAN-MADE FISH HABITATS

BUT DON’T WORRY THAT’S ALL PART OF THE PLAN. IT WASN’T MEANT TO BE A KEEPSAKE, JUST A TEST VEHICLE.

ALSO, SMALL BUT IMPORTANT CAVEAT TO POINT OUT HERE–

THIS WAS PART OF AN INITIAL TESTING PHASE SO WHILE THE TA-1 DID HIT SUPERSONIC SPEEDS, HYPERSONIC SPEEDS WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER DAY.