Stratolaunch has successfully completed the second hypersonic flight of the Talon-A2, a hypersonichypersonic autonomous vehicle autonomous vehicle capable of exceeding Mach 5 and landing in a controlled manner for reusability. This new mission, conducted in March 2025 as part of the Department of Defense’s MACH-TB program, cements the company’s strategic role in the development of hypersonic test platforms.
Second hypersonic flight, new validations
During the operation, the Talon-A2 reached speeds in excess of five times the speed of sound, improving on the records of the initial flight executed in December 2024. In addition to once again verifying the vehicle’s reusability reusability of the vehicleIn addition to re-verifying the vehicle’s reusability, its structural strength was validated and critical data on its aerodynamic and thermal behavior was retrieved.
The company noted that this breakthrough will improve the endurance of future Talon-A prototypes and significantly reduce turnaround times between flights.
A program with clear objectives
The flight was conducted under the MACH-TB program. MACH-TB (Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed) program (Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed) program, coordinated by the Department of Defense’s Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) and in collaboration with Leidos. This program is aimed at accelerating the development life cycle of hypersonic technologies through frequent testing and fully recoverable platforms.
According to statements by TRMC Director George Rumford, the reuse validated on the Talon-A2 will allow test intervals to be shortened from months to weeks.
A fleet gaining pace
In addition to the Talon-A2 flights, Stratolaunch has executed 24 flights with the Roc carrier aircraft, thus consolidating its complete airdrop system for hypersonic missions. Company president Dr. Zachary Krevor noted that the team’s continued performance reflects a commitment to technological innovation and national security.
Krevor stated that the company is on track to establish regular operational services for hypersonic testing with reusable aircraftsomething not seen since the era of the X-15 program in the late 1960s.
A platform that accelerates technological development
With the successful recovery of the TA-2 and the data collected on both flights, Stratolaunch is positioned as a key player for those developing payloads, defense systems or thermal control technologies that require real flight validation.
The company plans to conduct more flights in 2025 to expand the range of test scenarios and maintain the strategic advantage in reusable hypersonic testing.
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Source and photo: Stratolaunch
