Stratolaunch’s Hypersonic Plane Breaks Mach 5 and Lands Without a Pilot
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Summary
Stratolaunch has successfully tested its Talon-A2 autonomous hypersonic aircraft, which reached speeds in excess of Mach 5.
hypersonic speeds.
The vehicle was launched by the company’s Roc carrier plane, the world’s largest aircraft, over the Pacific Ocean in December 2024 and in March of this year.
While Stratolaunch did not reveal the altitude or highest speed reached by the Talon-A2, it did confirm that the vehicle conducted ‘several high-G manoeuvres’ on its return to earth.
CEO Zachary Krevor said the flights proved that reusable hypersonic flight was possible and pointed to the vehicle’s usefulness in testing hypersonic weapon systems.
