Stratolaunch’s 117-meter Wingspan Aircraft Successfully Releases Supersonic Test Vehicle Off the Coast of California.
Talon-0 vehicle separates from beneath Roc aircraft. (Photo: Stratolaunch)
The aerospace company Stratolaunch, based in California, has taken a significant step towards making its supersonic flight launch system a reality. Last week, the company successfully released its Talon-0 (TA-0) test vehicle from its Roc carrier aircraft. With two fuselages positioned in parallel, six Boeing 747 engines, 28 wheels, and a wingspan of 117 meters (longer than a football field), Roc is the largest aircraft in the world by wingspan, according to Space.
Roc took off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in Southern California on the morning of May 13, beginning its 11th test flight. Roc carried the company’s TA-0 test vehicle between its two fuselages. The massive aircraft flew westward and released TA-0 offshore California. Since Talon-0 is not equipped with an engine, it does not fly but performed a series of maneuvers while continuously transmitting telemetry data to the mission control team until it made a planned impact with the water. Meanwhile, Roc returned to land at Mojave approximately 4 hours and 8 minutes after takeoff, concluding the test.
Stratolaunch plans to use Roc to carry smaller, unmanned supersonic aircraft known as Talon-A (TA-1) to an altitude of 10,000 meters. At that point, it will be released from beneath Roc to fly autonomously. The rocket-powered TA-1 vehicle will continue to reach speeds exceeding Mach 5 (6,174 km/h) before autonomously landing on a runway. The company hopes to utilize multiple TA-1s to research various aspects of supersonic flight. In the meantime, Stratolaunch is working to refine Roc’s vehicle release system. TA-0 was towed by a winch to a wing-shaped aluminum pedestal located under Roc’s fuselage. Last October, Roc conducted its first flight carrying TA-0, but did not perform a separation test.
TA-0 not only separated from Roc smoothly, but the two aircraft also maintained radio communication with each other and with the base’s communication system after completing the release process. This functionality will be used to transmit backup telemetry data during the supersonic flight of TA-1, which is expected to take place in the Northern Hemisphere later this year.
