Photo credit: Stratolaunch / Julian Guerra / Stratolaunch / Julian Guerra
Stratolaunch announced that the Talon-A2 completed its second hypersonic flight and recovery in March 2025, after its first in December 2024. These flights, completed over the Pacific Ocean, saw the Talon-A2 achieve speeds in excess of Mach 5 (about 3,836 mph or 6,174 km/h at sea level) and land autonomously at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
It’s powered by the Hadley engine from Ursa Major (using liquid oxygen and kerosene for 5,000 pounds of thrust) and carried experiments like Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Hypersonic Technology Inertial Measurement Unit, which collected important navigation data in the tough hypersonic conditions. The tests aimed to push the vehicle’s flight limits, do high-G turns, and cut the time between flights from months to weeks.
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The Talon-A2 is launched from Stratolaunch’s Roc, the world’s largest aircraft. This massive double-fuselage plane boasts a 385-foot wingspan—bigger than a football field. Roc carries the Talon-A2 up to high altitudes (about 35,000 feet) before releasing it, allowing the vehicle to start its rocket engine in the air. This air-launch uses less fuel and lets launches happen from various locations, unlike typical ground-based rockets.
Unlike many hypersonic test vehicles that are used once or need a lot of maintenance, the Talon-A2 is built to be reused. After its March flight, it landed on its own at Vandenberg Space Force Base and was ready to go again in just weeks, not months. This quick prep time is a big deal for making hypersonic testing cheaper and more frequent.
These flights were a huge success for our program and for the nation. The data collected from the experiments flown on the initial Talon-A flight has now been analyzed and the results are extremely positive. The opportunity for technology testing at a high rate is highly valuable as we push the pace of hypersonic testing. The MACH-TB program is pleased with the multiple flight successes while looking forward to future flight tests with Stratolaunch,” said Scott Wilson, Program Manager of MACH-TB.
