There's exciting news from Stratolaunch Systems, the company responsible for the world's largest aircraft. Their Talon-A1 hypersonic test aircraft completed its first powered flight last weekend in Mojave, California.
For those unfamiliar with Stratolaunch, it's a US-based aerospace company that originally set out to develop a unique air-launch-to-orbit system. Instead of launching spacecraft from the ground, they planned to mount it onto a special launch aircraft and release it at a high altitude. The spacecraft would then use its own rocket engines to reach Earth's orbit.
The system promised to be a more cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional rockets, which use a lot of fuel and have limited use. Stratolaunch also claimed that the turnaround time between launches would be significantly reduced, allowing for more frequent launches. The massive twin-fuselage launch aircraft, called the Roc, was designed for this purpose and boasts a wingspan of 385 ft and can carry payloads up to 550,000 lb.
However, after a change in ownership, the company decided to use the Roc to release their uncrewed Talon-A series of aircraft, which can fly at speeds of over Mach 5 and autonomously land on a runway. These aircraft are primarily used for research on hypersonic flight.
In May 2023, the Roc successfully released an unpowered version of the Talon-A, called the TA-0, which glided to a landing. Last December, the Roc carried a powered Talon-A, the TA-1, to altitude but did not release or ignite its engines.
But last weekend's flight was a major milestone for the company. The Roc carried the TA-1 to altitude and safely released it, after which the TA-1 ignited its rocket engine, reached high supersonic speeds, and performed a controlled water landing. CEO Dr. Zachary Krevor stated that while they cannot reveal the specific altitude and speed due to proprietary agreements, the flight was a success and collected valuable data.
The data will be used to plan the first flight of the TA-1's successor, the TA-2, later this year. Stratolaunch is also working on a new launch aircraft, the Spirit of Mojave, a modified Boeing 747-400.
You can watch the TA-1's release and flight in the video below. This marks a significant step forward for Stratolaunch and their goal of revolutionizing air-launch-to-orbit systems.