Stratolaunch's Roc Drops Talon Hypersonic Vehicle in Successful Test Flight

June 1, 2023

1 min read

The first drop test of Stratolaunch’s Roc carrier plane was successfully conducted. The Roc released the Talon hypersonic vehicle prototype high above the Pacific Ocean. The representatives of Stratolaunch expressed satisfaction with the test and are preparing for future ambitious tests.

Zachary Krevor, the CEO and president of the company, announced plans for the first hypersonic flight in late fall. A significant milestone in its pursuit of super-speed travel has been reached by Stratolaunch. The Roc released the Talon, a separation test vehicle, successfully on May 13, 2023. Possibly reaching Mach 5 to Mach 7, Tyson-AA has the potential to travel at supersonic speeds.

Marking the 11th flight for Stratolaunch‘s Roc launch platform, this flight was the first successful separation of a test vehicle. The clean and safe separation of hypersonic vehicles from Roc’s center-wing pylon was demonstrated by the test. During the test, telemetry between the vehicles and Vandenberg’s Space Force Base’s communication assets was confirmed.

For its 11th flight, Roc took off from the Mojave Air & Space Port in Southern California. Performing gliding maneuvers and sending telemetry back to the mission team, the Talon-O separation test vehicle was carried by Roc. Meeting all objectives, Talon-o touched down on the water as part of the flight plan.

Marking the completion of the landmark test, Roc successfully landed at Mojave after the flight. In late summer, the team is now progressing towards the first hypersonic flight of the TA-1 expendable test bed.