Stratolaunch completed a test flight of its Talon-A2 hypersonic aircraft. (Image Credit: Stratolaunch/Julian Guerra)
Private American aerospace startup Stratolaunch launched its Talon-A2 (TA-2) hypersonic plane, completing two test flights around the world. The first took place in December 2024, and the second in March 2025. During those flights, the TA-2 surpassed Mach 5, and the experiments ended in California at the Vandenberg Space Force Base, where it successfully landed.
During the tests, Stratolaunch’s captive carry aircraft, called Roc (385 feet wingspan), launched the autonomous TA-2 over the Pacific Ocean. Afterward, the hypersonic plane exceeded Mach 5 speeds, which is the threshold for hypersonic flight, and landed on the runway at California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. With top speeds ot 3,800 mph, the aircraft could take seven hours just to travel around the world.
This is the first time a recoverable, reusable hypersonic American fully autonomous hypersonic aircraft has broken the hypersonic barrier since the manned North American X-15 program ended in 1968. Although each test flight occurred three months apart, a Pentagon official overseeing hypersonic production claims that vehicle turnaround time could be reduced from months to weeks. According to Zachary Krevor, Stratolaunch CEO, the latest Talon-A test flight data revealed the reliability of the vehicle’s design and ability to meet the Defense Department’s performance benchmarks with a 1% margin.
Stratolaunch didn’t include a list of payloads the Talon-A2 aircraft carried. But the plane had a Northrop Grumman Advanced Hypersonic Technology Inertial Measurement Unit onboard. This device assists with hypersonic vehicle navigation.
The Roc carrier plane with the Talon-A2 hypersonic vehicle attached. (Image Credit: Stratolaunch/Brandon Lim)
“Survivability of the navigation unit, also known as a hemispherical resonator gyroscope, is a major accomplishment due to the harsh environment hypersonic speed presents and the intense forces experienced as the technology operates within Earth’s atmospheric boundary. This technology collected hours of critical ground and flight data, pivotal for future development,” Northrop Grumman said.
Stratolaunch is in the process of modifying a converted Boeing 747-400 (Spirit of Mojave) to serve as a new launch platform for its hypersonic test vehicles. By doing so, the startup aims to enable Talon-A launches from airports that can support the 747, expanding global outreach and operational flexibility. The platform is expected to come with a mobile control center for real-time mission operations to support more complex and frequent tests.
“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.
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