Stratolaunch Successfully Conducts First Powered Test Flight of Hypersonic Aircraft Prototype
The American aerospace company Stratolaunch has announced the successful completion of the first powered test flight of its new hypersonic unmanned aircraft prototype. The aircraft, named Talon-A-1, is powered by a liquid fuel rocket engine, enabling it to reach speeds of at least Mach 5, five times the speed of sound.
During the test flight, which took place on Saturday, the Talon-A-1 met all of its main objectives, including a safe launch from the air, engine ignition, acceleration, a sustained climb to altitude, and a controlled landing in the water. The aircraft was lifted into the sky by Stratolaunch’s massive six-engine Roc transport plane, which released it off the coast of California before descending into the ocean as planned.
Although this version of the Talon was expendable, future iterations will be designed for reuse and will be able to land on a runway. According to Stratolaunch Systems CEO Zachary Krevor, the Talon-A-1 reached high supersonic speeds during the test flight, approaching Mach 5, and collected a significant amount of valuable data.
The successful test flight marks a significant milestone for the development of hypersonic aircraft technology. The Stratolaunch team is looking forward to analyzing the data collected during the flight to continue advancing the capabilities of the Talon aircraft.