Stratolaunch carrier aircraft completes fifth flight test with new composite pylon, debuts Talon-A

In early May 2022, Stratolaunch (Mojave, Calif., U.S.) successfully completed the fifth flight test of its largely composite carrier aircraft, Roc. The aircraft flew for 4 hours and 58 minutes over the Mojave Desert and reached an altitude of 22,500 feet (6,858 meters) (see “Stratolaunch composite carrier aircraft completes fourth flight test”).

The fifth flight debuted a new pylon on the aircraft’s center wing that will be used to carry and release Talon-A hypersonic testbed vehicles. The hardware is comprised of a mini-wing and adapter that is constructed with aluminum and carbon fiber skins. It weighs approximately 8,000 pounds and occupies 14 feet of Roc’s 95-foot center wingspan, enabling adequate space between the aircraft’s dual fuselages for safe vehicle release and launch. The state-of-the-art structure also features a winch system that will load Talon onto the platform from the ground, expediting launch preparation and reducing the need for ground support. 

According to Stratolaunch, Talon-A vehicles are rocket-powered, autonomous, reusable testbeds carrying customizable payloads at speeds above Mach 5. This testbed capability enables routine access to the hypersonic flight environment, which is reportedly critical for scientific research, technological development and component demonstration.

Initial results from this flight’s test objectives include:

• Validation of the aircraft’s general performance and handling characteristics, with the addition of the recently installed pylon hardware.
• Continued validation of landing gear operations including door functionality, and alternate gear extension.

“This successful flight validates important hardware improvements to the carrier aircraft,” Dr. Zachary Krevor, Stratolaunch chief executive officer (CEO) and president, says. “The pylon is a crucial component of our combined launch system, and I am proud of the team’s timely and quality integration work that occurred since our last test flight. It is through their dedication that we continue to make steady progress toward achieving our next milestones of Talon-A flight tests later this year.”

In addition to testing the carrier aircraft, the team continues to make progress on system integration and functional testing of two Talon-A test vehicles, TA-0 and TA-1. The public debut of its structurally complete Talon-A test vehicle, TA-0, occurred on May 26, and will be used to test and validate Roc’s release system and characterize the separation dynamics of the Talon vehicle. Stratolaunch says while this first version of Talon-A will not be powered in flight, it will continue functional and integration testing in the coming months, culminating in a captive carry and vehicle flight later this year. After completing TA-0 separation testing, the company will transition to flying its first hypersonic test vehicle, TA-1. 

The team has also started fabrication of a third vehicle, TA-2, said to be the first fully reusable hypersonic test vehicle. The company anticipates beginning hypersonic flight testing and delivering services to government and commercial customers in 2023.