This US Company Just Successfully Tested a Reusable Hypersonic Rocket Plane
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Summary
Stratolaunch has successfully flown the Talon-A2 rocket plane on two test flights over the past five months, achieving autonomous hypersonic flight.
The vehicle was dropped over the Pacific Ocean, accelerated to more than five times the speed of sound, and landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
CEO Zachary Krevor highlighted the importance of autonomous flight, as hypersonic systems are pushing the limits of manoeuvring capability and therefore it is necessary to explore the “full envelope of capability”.
The US aims to grow its capacity for hypersonic flight testing from 12 to 50 per year, and Stratolaunch plans to carry out monthly flights of Talon-A by the end of 2022, eventually ramping up to weekly flights.
The tests form part of the MACH-TB programme, which aims to develop commercial hypersonic test vehicles to help the US catch up with China and Russia in the hypersonic weapons race.
