The US Talon-A-1 vehicle launched from the world's largest aircraft Roc in California and reached a speed of 6,174 km/h on its first flight.
The first flight with the TA-1 engine. Photo: Stratolaunch
American aerospace company Stratolaunch made headlines with the first powered test flight of its new hypersonic research vehicle. The vehicle, called Talon-A-1 (TA-1), launched from the belly of a giant Roc transport aircraft on March 9 off the coast of California. TA-1 flew to nearly Mach 5 (6,174 km/h) before plunging into the ocean as planned. In its previous test in May 2023, its predecessor, TA-0, only hovered and transmitted telemetry data, according to Interesting Engineering .
During the test, Stratolaunch’s giant Roc aircraft, the world’s largest aircraft with a wingspan larger than a football field, lifted TA-1 into the air. Roc then dropped the rocket-powered vehicle off the California coast. Stratolaunch CEO Zachary Krevor said the TA-1 collected a wealth of data that would be valuable to its customers. Krevor would not disclose the vehicle’s exact altitude or speed due to an exclusivity agreement.
The TA-1 is a rocket-powered unmanned vehicle that can carry a payload of up to 1,000 pounds. It is designed to be launched from a Roc aircraft with a wingspan of 370 feet and powered by six engines. The Roc can carry three TA-1 vehicles at a time and release them at different altitudes and locations. The TA-1 uses the Ursa Major Hadley engine and is designed to meet US commercial and national security requirements.
The successful test is a major achievement for Ursa Major, which designed, built and tested the Hadley in less than 10 years. This engine, along with other Ursa Major products, will enable the US Department of Defense to develop new mission solutions faster and improve performance metrics for speed, range and payload. The Hadley is a liquid oxygen and kerosene staged combustion rocket engine for small vehicles that produces 22,241 N of thrust. Customers can use the Hadley to launch small payloads into orbit. Unlike conventional rocket engines, Ursa Major uses 3D printing to speed up the manufacturing process, allowing the company to build engines in a matter of days.
The TA-1 vehicle that flew on March 9 was a disposable version, but Stratolaunch plans to build a reusable version that can land on a runway after each flight. The company said the primary goal of the test flight was to demonstrate the ability to safely launch in the air, fire its engines, accelerate, climb steadily, and land on water in a controlled manner. The test flight was the culmination of months of preparation and testing. Stratolaunch has already conducted two flights in December 2023 and February 2024, during which TA-1 was carried by Roc with its propellant tank but did not separate.
Stratolaunch is headquartered at the Mojave Spaceport in the Mojave Desert north of Los Angeles. The company was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen, who died in 2018, shortly before the Roc made its maiden flight in April 2019. Stratolaunch’s current focus is on hypersonic flight research and development, which has attracted interest from the US military and other customers. The company plans to conduct more test flights of the TA-1 in the future, as well as develop a larger hypersonic vehicle, the TA-Z, that can fly at Mach 10 (7,650 mph).
An Khang (According to Interesting Engineering )
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