The American space transportation company Stratolaunch has successfully completed the first powered flight of its Talon-A hypersonic test aircraft, whose speed approached Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound).
The primary objectives of the flight test included achieving safe air launch of the TA-1 vehicle, engine ignition, acceleration, sustained climb to altitude, and a controlled landing on water.
Stratolaunch develops an air launch system to orbit. His giant six-engine Roc aircraft carried the Talon-A attached to the center of its gigantic wing, and released it off the central coast of California.
The prototype, powered by a liquid fuel rocket motor, ended its flight by descending into the ocean as planned.
"While I cannot share the specific altitude and speed TA-1 achieved due to ownership agreements with our customers, we are pleased to share that in addition to meeting all primary and customer objectives of the flight, we achieved high supersonic speeds approaching Mach 5 and collected a wealth of data with incredible value for our customers," Zachary Krevor, president and CEO of Stratolaunch, said in a statement.
Stratolaunch is working on the development of two new reusable hypersonic prototypes, whose first flight is expected at the end of this year, as well as on modifications to its launch vehicle.
