Latest news with #Stratolaunch
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Need for speed? Watch this thrilling video from historic Stratolaunch Talon-A2 hypersonic flight (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Stratolaunch released a new video documenting the completion of its second hypersonic flight and full recovery of its Talon-A2 autonomous vehicle, showing off the capabilities of this sleek reusable hypersonic aircraft. This successful follow-up mission, recently undertaken on March 24 of this year, follows in the wake of the Talon-A2 vehicle's initial first hypersonic flight and runway recovery back on Dec. 20, 2024. The Talon-A2 is an advanced air-launch plane lifted aloft by a gigantic dual-fuselage aircraft designed by Scaled Composites with a world-leading 385-foot (117 meters) wingspan and nicknamed "Roc." When positioned and deployed at altitude over 20,000 feet, the dart-shaped hypersonic marvel is dropped from Roc's center wing pylon before its Ursa Major Hadley rocket engine comes alive to propel it to Mach 5 and beyond. "With the data collected from this second flight, we are able to apply lessons learned to enhance the strength and performance of the Talon-A vehicles," said Dr. Zachary Krevor, President and CEO of Stratolaunch in a statement. "While the team needs to complete its data review of flight two, the first flight review confirmed the robustness of the Talon-A design while demonstrating the ability to meet the full range of performance capabilities desired by our customers." RELATED STORIES: — Stratolaunch's Talon-A2 prototype goes hypersonic after dropping from world's largest airplane (photos) — Stratolaunch launches 1st rocket-powered flight of hypersonic prototype from world's largest airplane — Stratolaunch flies world's largest airplane on 2nd test flight After a controlled altitude climb, the Talon-A2 glided back down to Earth for a silky-smooth touchdown and payload recovery at California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, as seen in this video linking Stratolaunch's vision back to the pioneering days of the U.S. Air Force and NASA's legendary X-15 rocket plane program of the late 1950s and 1960s. Both December's and March's flights packed payloads and Department of Defense experiments. These thrilling missions mark America's first return to reusable hypersonic flight testing since that manned X-15 program ended in 1968. Stratolaunch is a revolutionary air-launch enterprise founded back in 2011 by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Cerberus Capital Management formally purchased Stratolaunch back in 2018, transferring its headquarters from Seattle, Washington to Mohave Air and Space Port in California with an emphasis on evolving and operating world-class hypersonic aerospace craft. A second launch platform is currently being developed using a Boeing 747-400 once owned by the now-defunct Virgin Orbit and now renamed "Spirit of Mojave." This updated aircraft will provide a more convenient, compact carrier than the mighty "Roc" for future flights and testing of the next generation of Stratolaunch vehicle dubbed the Talon-A3, which should be ready to fly sometime in late 2025. Stratoluanch previously tested the single-use prototype Talon-A1 on March 9, 2024, which was not equipped with landing gear and executed a perfect ocean splashdown.
Sustainability Times
09-05-2025
- Science
- Sustainability Times
This U.S. Weapon Test Forced China to Sound the Alarm: Beijing Mobilizes in Face of Hypersonic Supremacy
IN A NUTSHELL 🚀 Stratolaunch's Talon-A achieved speeds over Mach 5, marking a milestone in reusable hypersonic flight. achieved speeds over Mach 5, marking a milestone in reusable hypersonic flight. 🌐 The MACH-TB initiative accelerates U.S. hypersonic capabilities by enabling rapid, affordable testing. accelerates U.S. hypersonic capabilities by enabling rapid, affordable testing. 🛡️ The success of the Talon-A strengthens U.S. defense against global competitors like Russia and China . and . 🔧 The project paves the way for innovations in propulsion systems and aerospace technology, impacting both military and commercial sectors. In a groundbreaking advancement for the United States' hypersonic capabilities, the Pentagon has confirmed the second successful flight of Stratolaunch's Talon-A, a reusable hypersonic vehicle. This remarkable achievement highlights the country's renewed focus on developing next-generation weapons that travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5. With the Talon-A soaring to incredible velocities, the U.S. is taking significant steps to bolster its defense capabilities and maintain a competitive edge in the global hypersonic race. This article delves into the intricacies of the Talon-A project, its significance, and its potential impact on future military technologies. The Rise of Stratolaunch: A New Era in Aerospace Stratolaunch, a California-based aerospace company, is at the forefront of hypersonic technology innovation. Their Talon-A vehicle, designed to be reusable, marks a departure from traditional single-use rockets. This innovative approach offers a cost-effective and efficient method for testing hypersonic technologies. The Talon-A is launched from the Roc carrier aircraft, the world's largest airplane with a twin fuselage, and can reach speeds over Mach 5. After its successful flight over the Pacific Ocean, it landed safely at Vandenberg Space Force Base, underscoring its reusability and reliability. The Talon-A's development is a part of the Test Resource Management Center's (TRMC) Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed (MACH-TB) initiative. This program aims to accelerate the delivery of advanced hypersonic capabilities by fostering collaboration among various stakeholders, including the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, industry, and academia. By providing a platform for rapid and affordable hypersonic experiments, MACH-TB is paving the way for a new era of aerospace innovation. Milestone Achievements in Hypersonic Testing The recent test flights of the Talon-A represent significant milestones in hypersonic testing and development. The first successful flight in December 2024 went unpublicized until now, but the second test in March 2025 has garnered much attention. These tests demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of reusable hypersonic vehicles, a concept that promises to revolutionize aerospace technology. 'World Calls on China to Lead': Urgent Climate Demands Escalate Ahead of Pivotal Global Sustainability Transition Conference The data collected from these flights is invaluable. It allows engineers to refine and enhance the Talon-A's design, ensuring it meets the full range of performance capabilities desired by the military and other customers. The ability to quickly redeploy the vehicle after each test, thanks to its reusability, dramatically reduces turnaround times and costs, accelerating the pace of hypersonic development. Dr. Zachary Krevor, President and CEO of Stratolaunch, emphasized the significance of these achievements, noting the complexity of a full runway landing with prompt payload recovery. The success of these tests not only advances the Talon-A project but also strengthens the United States' position in the global hypersonic race. Implications for U.S. Defense and Global Hypersonic Race The Talon-A's successful tests come at a crucial time for the United States, as it seeks to enhance its hypersonic capabilities amid growing competition from global powers like Russia and China. Hypersonic weapons, capable of flying at speeds above Mach 5, pose a significant challenge to existing defense systems due to their speed and maneuverability. As such, developing effective hypersonic technologies is a strategic priority for the U.S. military. Scientists Create Extremely Heavy Hydrogen Isotope Using Electron Beams in a Historic First That Redefines Atomic Research The significance of these tests extends beyond national defense. They represent a technological leap that could have broader implications for aerospace innovation and commercial applications. By leading the charge in hypersonic technology, the U.S. is setting new standards in aerospace engineering and defense capabilities. Furthermore, the collaboration facilitated by the MACH-TB initiative fosters innovation and accelerates the development of hypersonic systems, ensuring that the U.S. remains at the forefront of this critical technology area. As other nations continue to advance their hypersonic programs, the success of the Talon-A project reaffirms the U.S.'s commitment to maintaining its technological superiority. The Future of Hypersonic Technology Looking ahead, the Talon-A project is just the beginning of a new chapter in hypersonic technology. The vehicle's reusable nature and advanced capabilities provide a platform for ongoing research and development in areas such as propulsion systems, materials science, and aerodynamic design. These advancements have the potential to transform not only military applications but also commercial aerospace endeavors. 'It's Huge, and It's Been Hidden for This Whole Time': Astronomers Staggered by Discovery of Eos, a Giant Glowing Cloud in Space As U.S. defense giants like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and RTX continue to invest in hypersonic technologies, the landscape of aerospace innovation is set to change dramatically. The Talon-A's success paves the way for further exploration and development, potentially leading to breakthroughs in hypersonic travel and transportation. The strategic significance of hypersonic technology cannot be overstated. As nations vie for dominance in this field, the ability to develop and deploy reliable hypersonic systems will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of global security and technological progress. The successful flights of the Talon-A mark a significant milestone in the U.S.'s pursuit of hypersonic capabilities. As the Pentagon and its partners continue to push the boundaries of aerospace technology, the implications for national defense and global innovation are profound. With the Talon-A leading the charge, what new horizons will hypersonic technology explore next? Did you like it? 4.5/5 (29)
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Northrop tests tech to help hypersonic vehicles maneuver without GPS
Two recent groundbreaking hypersonic test flights featured a Northrop Grumman capability designed to allow high-speed systems to navigate and maneuver when GPS isn't available. The company told Defense News this week that its inertial measurement unit, or IMU, flew onboard Stratolaunch's Talon-A glide vehicle during its first two hypersonic flights in December and March. The successful demonstration of IMU technology on a hypersonic aircraft — which can travel and maneuver at speeds of Mach 5 or higher — is an industry first, according to Jonathan Green, Northrop's chief technology officer for emerging capabilities development. 'It met all of our goals … and the fact that it survived throughout this first flight test — these are all incredibly positive developments for how we're maturing this technology,' he said in an interview. The Pentagon disclosed the Talon-A tests this week, marking the first successful flights of a reusable hypersonic vehicle since the X-15 program ended in 1968. The U.S. in recent years has increased its investment in high-speed weaponry and aircraft, and Stratolaunch's testbed reflects a renewed urgency to create test opportunities for the components and subsystems needed to support major hypersonic development efforts. Northrop's Advanced Hypersonic Technology IMU is designed to allow high-speed systems to navigate without GPS — a capability that could be disrupted by adverse weather, difficult terrain or enemy jamming and spoofing. Using advanced sensors to understand how a platform is moving through its environment, the IMU calculates where the system has traveled and what path it needs to take to continue on its trajectory. According to Josei Chang, senior director of advanced technologies at Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, the system performed as expected during the flight tests and accurately calculated the vehicle's path. While Northrop has developed IMUs for spacecraft, this version is a smaller, more rugged system, repackaged to fit on an air vehicle and designed to survive the harsh conditions of Mach 5 flight. 'What we have done within Northrop Grumman is to develop an inertial navigation technology that really started from our lineage in space-based inertial navigation,' Green said. 'We took that capability, that portfolio of technology, and enhanced it.' The hypersonic flights represent a significant milestone for the system, which is still in the research and development phase. An abstract for an upcoming navigation conference notes Northrop is developing IMU technology in partnership with the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Systems Center, but the company declined to confirm whether it has any formal development partners or contracts. Northrop plans to test the IMU on a sounding rocket sometime this quarter and is also eyeing another test event later this year at Holloman Air Force Base in Utah. That test will focus on how the system performs in an environment with high gravitational force. The company is also closely tracking Talon-A's test schedule, though Green wouldn't confirm whether the IMU would be on Stratolaunch's next flight, slated for this spring or summer. 'This partnership that we've had with Stratolaunch to get the system out there and get it tested was absolutely critical,' he said. 'It does speak to the importance of being able to test these things and have the resources to test these things.'
WIRED
07-05-2025
- Science
- WIRED
This US Company Just Successfully Tested a Reusable Hypersonic Rocket Plane
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica May 7, 2025 5:00 PM Stratolaunch completed two flights of its autonomous Talon-A2 rocket plane earlier this year, as the US aims to gain ground in its race for hypersonic supremacy with China. Stratolaunch has finally found a use for the world's largest airplane. Twice in the past five months, the company launched a hypersonic vehicle over the Pacific Ocean, accelerated it to more than five times the speed of sound, and autonomously landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Stratolaunch used the same vehicle for both flights. This is the first time anyone in the United States has flown a reusable hypersonic rocket plane since the last flight of the X-15, the iconic rocket-powered aircraft that pushed the envelope of high-altitude, high-speed flight 60 years ago. Stratolaunch announced the results of its two most recent test flights Monday. In December and again in March, Stratolaunch's Talon-A2 rocket plane launched from the belly of an enormous carrier aircraft over the Pacific Ocean and flew several hundred miles to Vandenberg, a military spaceport about 140 miles northwest of Los Angeles. There, the aircraft touched down on a concrete runway that NASA and the Air Force once considered for Space Shuttle landings. Mach 5 or Bust Zachary Krevor, president and CEO of Stratolaunch, spoke with Ars on Monday afternoon. He said the Talon test vehicle advances the capability lost with the retirement of the X-15 by flying autonomously. Like the Talon-A, the X-15 released from a carrier jet and ignited a rocket engine to soar into the uppermost layers of the atmosphere. But the X-15 had a pilot in command, while the Talon-A flies on autopilot. 'Why the autonomous flight matters is because hypersonic systems are now pushing the envelope in terms of maneuvering capability, maneuvering beyond what can be done by the human body,' Krevor said. 'Therefore, being able to perform flights with an autonomous, reusable, hypersonic testbed ensures that these flights are exploring the full envelope of capability that represents what's occurring in hypersonic system development today.' Stratolaunch's Talon-A is a little smaller than a school bus, or about half the size of the X-15. Stratolaunch's Talon-A2 vehicle lands at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Photograph: Stratolaunch 'Demonstrating the reuse of fully recoverable hypersonic test vehicles is an important milestone for MACH-TB,' said George Rumford, director of the Test Resource Management Center, in a statement. 'Lessons learned from this test campaign will help us reduce vehicle turnaround time from months down to weeks.' Krevor said Talon-A carried multiple experiments on each mission but did not offer any details about the nature of the payloads, citing proprietary reasons and customer agreements. 'We cannot disclose the nature of those payloads, other than to say typical materials, instrumentation, sensors, etc.,' he said. 'The customers were thrilled with their ability to recover the payloads shortly after landing.' Stratolaunch completed the first powered flight of a Talon-A vehicle last year, when the rocket plane launched over the Pacific Ocean and fired its liquid-fueled Hadley engine—produced by Ursa Major—for about 200 seconds. The Talon-A1 vehicle accelerated to just shy of hypersonic speed, then fell into the sea as planned and was not recovered. That set the stage for Talon-A2's first flight in December. Military officials previously stated they set up the MACH-TB program to enable more frequent flight testing of hypersonic weapon technologies, including communication, navigation, guidance, sensors, and seekers. Stratolaunch aims for monthly flights of the Talon-A rocket plane by the end of the year and eventually wants to ramp up to weekly flights. 'These flights are setting the stage now to increase the cadence of hypersonic flight testing in this country,' Krevor said. 'The ability to have a fully reusable hypersonic flight architecture enables a very high cadence of flight along with a lot of responsiveness. The DoD can call Stratolaunch if there's a priority program, and we can have a hypersonic flight next week, assuming the readiness of all the other technologies and payloads.' Pentagon officials in 2022 set a goal of growing US capacity for hypersonic testing from 12 to 50 flight tests per year. Krevor believes Stratolaunch will play a key part in making that happen. Catching Up So, why is hypersonic flight testing important? The Pentagon seeks to close what it views as a technological gap with China, which US officials acknowledge has become the world's leader in hypersonic missile development. Hypersonic weapons are more difficult than conventional missiles for aerial defense systems to detect, track, and destroy. Unlike ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons ride at the top of the atmosphere, enhancing their maneuverability and ability to evade interceptors. Hypersonic flight is an unforgiving environment. Temperatures outside the Talon-A vehicle can reach up to 2,000° Fahrenheit (1,100° Celsius) as the plane plows through air molecules, Krevor said. He declined to disclose the duration, top speed, and maximum altitude of the December and March test flights but said the rocket plane performed a series of 'high-G' maneuvers on the journey from its drop location to Vandenberg. Talon-A2 suspended underneath Stratolaunch's carrier aircraft. Photograph: Stratolaunch/Brandon Lim Engineers know less about the conditions of the hypersonic flight regime (in excess of Mach 5) than they do about lower-speed supersonic flight or spaceflight. The only vehicles that regularly fly at hypersonic speeds are missiles, rockets, and spacecraft reentering the atmosphere. They spend just a short time flying in the hypersonic environment as they transition to and from space. There are two things you should know about hypersonic missiles. First, rockets have flown at hypersonic speeds since 1949, so when officials talk about hypersonic missiles, they are referring to vehicles that operate in the hypersonic flight environment, instead of just transiting through it. Second, hypersonic vehicles come in a couple of variations. One is a glide vehicle, which is accelerated by a conventional rocket to hypersonic speed, then steers itself toward its destination or target using aerodynamic forces. The other is a cruiser that can sustain itself in hypersonic flight using exotic propulsion, such as scramjet engines. The military recently tested an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon, known by the Army as Dark Eagle and by the Navy as Conventional Prompt Strike, using the glide vehicle architecture. The Army's version could be operational later this year. Meanwhile, the Air Force is working on a scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile, but it likely won't be ready for combat for a few more years. Not only must a vehicle operate in the extreme hypersonic flight regime, but any operational hypersonic weapon must be 'affordable' and 'manufactured at high rate,' two Pentagon officials wrote in prepared testimony to the House Armed Services Committee last year. 'Our goal is to enable the nation's industrial base to manufacture hypersonic systems at a cost comparable to traditional weapon systems and at the capacity necessary to achieve a decisive advantage for the warfighter on the battlefield,' the officials wrote. A test launch of the US Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike weapon occurred April 25 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photograph: Kyle Ryan/ US Defense Department The Pentagon has spent about $12 billion on hypersonic weapons development and testing since 2018. None of the weapons are operational yet. All of these initiatives aim to match China's hypersonic capabilities. US officials believe China's first hypersonic weapon, using the glide vehicle architecture, became operational in 2019. Russia's government claimed it deployed a hypersonic weapon named Avangard the same year. China began testing a scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile in 2018. Paving the Way The Pentagon's emphasis on hypersonic weapons is relatively new. After the X-15's final flight in 1968, the government lacked any major hypersonic flight test programs for several decades. NASA flew the autonomous X-43 test vehicle to hypersonic speed two times in 2004, and the Air Force demonstrated an air-breathing scramjet engine at Mach 5.1 with the X-51 Waverider aircraft in 2013. While some of the X-43 and X-51 test flights failed, they provided early-stage data on hypersonic propulsion systems that could power high-speed aircraft and missiles. But these were expensive government-led programs. Together, they cost nearly $1 billion in 2025 dollars, with only a handful of flight tests to show for it. The military now wants to lean heavier on commercial industry. Since its founding 14 years ago, Stratolaunch has pivoted its mission from the airborne launch of satellites to hypersonic testing. Stratolaunch was one of the first US launch companies to capitalize on the US military's growing interest in hypersonic technology. Rocket Lab now flies a suborbital version of its Electron satellite launcher to carry hypersonic experiments. ABL Space Systems, now known as Long Wall, last year announced it was walking away from the space launch business entirely to focus on hypersonic testing. The military's MACH-TB program offers a lucrative source of revenue for these rocket companies. Through its subsidiary Dynetics, the defense contractor Leidos manages the first phase of the MACH-TB program, which aims to develop and demonstrate commercial hypersonic test vehicles. In January, the Pentagon awarded a nearly $1.5 billion contract to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions for MACH-TB 2.0, which will transition the program from flight demonstrations to hypersonic test services. Stratolaunch and Rocket Lab will launch hypersonic experiments under MACH-TB 2.0, while a range of government, commercial, and academic institutions will develop the materials and technologies to be tested. Quilty Space, a space industry research firm, estimates the market for hypersonic testing is worth between $6 billion and $7 billion. This illustration from the Government Accountability Office compares the trajectory of a ballistic missile with those of a hypersonic glide vehicle and a hypersonic cruise missile. Illustration: GAO It has taken a long time for Stratolaunch to find its footing. At one time, Stratolaunch partnered with SpaceX to use an air-launched version of the Falcon 9 rocket to deliver satellites to orbit. When that partnership fell through, Stratolaunch worked with Orbital Sciences, now part of Northrop Grumman, to design an air-launched rocket. Stratolaunch's founder, Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, died in 2018, putting the company's future in doubt. Stratolaunch flew its huge carrier aircraft, named Roc , for the first time in April 2019 but ceased operations the following month. Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm, purchased Stratolaunch from Allen's heirs later that year and redirected the company's mission from space launch to hypersonic flight testing. Through it all, Stratolaunch continued flying Roc , a twin-fuselage airplane with a wingspan of 385 feet (117 meters). For a time, it appeared Roc might share a fate with Howard Hughes' 'Spruce Goose' flying boat, which held the record as the airplane with the widest wingspan, until Roc (officially designated the Scaled Composites Model 351) took off for the first time in 2019. The Spruce Goose flew just once after its business prospects faded in the aftermath of World War II. Now, the Pentagon's hunger for hypersonic weapons seems likely to feed Stratolaunch's coffers for some time to come. The company is building a second rocket plane, Talon-A3, scheduled to enter service in the fourth quarter of this year. It will launch from a Boeing 747 carrier aircraft that Stratolaunch acquired from Virgin Orbit after it went bankrupt in 2023. The longer range of the 747 will allow Stratolaunch to stage hypersonic tests from other locations beyond the West Coast. This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.
Gizmodo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
Pentagon's Hypersonic Drone Hits Mach 5 in Record-Breaking Tests
A California-based startup pulled off two hypersonic flights of its reusable aircraft, which became the first fully autonomous drone to reach Mach 5 speeds. Stratolaunch's Talon-A2 completed a series of test flights for the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, part of a hypersonic testbed program that echoes Cold War-era efforts like the X-15, which retired in 1968. The hypersonic vehicle exceeded Mach 5 speeds during the tests that took place in December 2024 and March 2025, Stratolaunch revealed this week. 'We've now demonstrated hypersonic speed, added the complexity of a full runway landing with prompt payload recovery, and proven reusability,' Zachary Krevor, president and CEO of Stratolaunch, said in a statement. The Talon-A prototype is an autonomous, reusable aircraft capable of flying at least five times the speed of sound. During its test flights, Roc—the largest airplane ever built—released the vehicle over the Pacific Ocean. Stratolaunch's Roc took off with Talon-A1 tucked in its belly before the hypersonic vehicle conducted its own flight and landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base. When it was founded in 2011, Stratolaunch intended to use Roc to launch Orbital ATK's Pegasus XL rocket into space. Following its founder Paul Allen's death in 2018, the company switched gears to focusing on developing, deploying, and flying hypersonic vehicles instead. In December 2021, Stratolaunch announced a contract with the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency to provide a testbed for developing defense strategies against hypersonic threats. In March 2024, Talon-A1 launched for its first powered test flight, reaching hypersonic speeds that didn't quite make it to Mach 5. Unlike Talon-A1, Stratolaunch's latest prototype, Talon-A2 is fully reusable. The company is developing future versions of the Talon-A, which will be rocket-powered and capable of carrying customizable payloads at hypersonic speeds. Stratolaunch is also working on a larger hypersonic vehicle, dubbed Talon-Z, and a spaceplane nicknamed Black Ice, that would carry payloads—and possibly passengers—to Earth orbit. Talon-A2's recent flights mark the first hypersonic flights since the X-15 program conducted by the U.S. Air Force and NASA. The X-15 hypersonic aircraft were air-launched from a B-52 aircraft, and flew a total of 199 times over the span of 10 years. The program ended in the late 1960s due to a lack of funding and a shift of focus toward orbital missions. The Department of Defense has shown a renewed interest in hypersonic vehicles as other nations like China and Russia are working on developing their own. The U.S. has never operated a reusable hypersonic vehicle, a capability that could significantly reduce costs. 'Demonstrating the reuse of fully recoverable hypersonic test vehicles is an important milestone for MACH-TB,' George Rumford, director of the Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center, said in a statement. 'Lessons learned from this test campaign will help us reduce vehicle turnaround time from months down to weeks.'
