Aerospace company, Stratolaunch has completed its second captive carry flight with the first powered Talon-A hypersonic vehicle, TA-1.
The flight, which was Stratolaunch’s 13th since the project began, took off on February 24, 2024, as the team works towards the day when the hypersonic vehicle powers away from the mothership, Roc, to achieve super-speed travel.
The flight was also the second time the Talon vehicle was carried by Roc while holding live propellant aboard.
The flight lasted a total of 4 hours and 29 minutes, enabling the Stratolaunch team to evaluate Talon-A’s propulsion system and the flight environments while carrying the live propellant.
A second objective was to verify Roc and TA-1’s telemetry systems in tandem with range communication assets, which together provides the situational awareness needed to ensure all systems are ready for powered flight during the release sequence.
The Stratolaunch propulsion team recently conducted their 10th successful Hotfire engine test for our Talon A-1 engine as it prepares for its first powered flight. Stay tuned for more updates as the Stratolaunch team continues to push the boundaries of hypersonic innovation. pic.twitter.com/CLfhXHagEZ
— Stratolaunch (@Stratolaunch) February 9, 2024
“We collected valuable data during our first captive carry of TA-1 in December 2023, particularly regarding propellant management of TA-1’s feed system” Dr. Zachary Krevor, Chief Executive Officer and President for Stratolaunch, said. “Our goal with this flight was to continue our risk reduction approach for TA-1’s first powered flight and be steadfast on our commitment of delivering maximum value to our customers when the first powered flight occurs.”