Stratolaunch is preparing for the first flight tests of the Talon-A hypersonic vehicle

The American company Stratolaunch announced that the Talon-A hypersonic aircraft is ready for flight testing. The ROC-1 carrier aircraft will be used as a launch pad.

Stratolaunch has been developing its project to launch spacecraft from an airborne platform since 2010, and is finally approaching final testing. The ROC-1 carrier aircraft is a huge flying launch pad with the ability to lift a payload weighing up to 250 tons on external pylons. This aircraft has the largest wings in the history of aviation, the span of which exceeds 117 meters.




The first spacecraft launched from a giant aircraft was the Talon-A, introduced early last year. This is a small device with a length of 8,5 meters and a weight of 2,7 tons. The Talon-A is powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine that ignites upon release from the ROC-1 and should propel the vehicle to Mach 7. Once the flight is completed, the Talon-A must land on its own on a conventional runway.

After successful testing of the first vehicle, Stratolaunch plans to introduce a larger Talon-Z vehicle, which will be able to deliver cargo and, possibly, people into Earth orbit.