"Stratolaunch Achieves Milestone with First Powered Hypersonic Flight"
Stratolaunch successfully conducted the first powered test flight of a new unmanned hypersonic research craft, the Talon-A-1, off the coast of California. The vehicle reached high supersonic speeds approaching Mach 5 and collected valuable data, marking a major milestone in the development of privately funded, reusable hypersonic test capability. The massive carrier aircraft, Roc, released the Talon, which was powered by a liquid-fuel rocket engine and ended its flight with a controlled descent into the ocean. Stratolaunch aims to develop a reusable version capable of landing on a runway for future use in hypersonic research.