The Roc, the largest airplane in the world by wingspan, successfully transported the Talon-A experimental supersonic vehicle beneath its body.
The Roc aircraft flying with the Talon-A experimental supersonic vehicle on December 3 in California. (Photo: Stratolaunch)
The world’s largest airplane took off last weekend, carrying a new payload beneath its enormous wingspan. The Roc transport aircraft from Stratolaunch conducted its first flight with another vehicle on December 3, according to Space. The primary goal was to evaluate the propulsion system of Stratolaunch’s first autonomous experimental supersonic vehicle, named Talon-A or TA-1, and to observe how it reacts during transport.
“The Talon-A propulsion system supports a liquid-fueled rocket engine, providing the necessary thrust for the vehicle to reach supersonic speeds,” said Zachary Krevor, CEO of Stratolaunch. “While we have successfully conducted several ground tests to refuel and fire the system, we need to assess how the system performs in the air before separation. Initial results from the flight show that the system is performing as expected, and we will determine the next steps after thoroughly reviewing the test data.”
Close-up of the Talon-A experimental supersonic vehicle. (Photo: Stratolaunch).
The latest flight marked the 12th flight of the Roc, which has a wingspan of 117 meters. The massive twin-fuselage aircraft previously flew in May of this year, conducting its first drop test with a Talon prototype. The Roc soared in the sky for 3 hours and 22 minutes on December 3, after taking off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in Southern California. The TA-1 was attached beneath the transport aircraft from takeoff to landing.
Stratolaunch was founded in 2011 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The initial goal was to launch rockets from high altitudes into Earth’s atmosphere, similar to Virgin Galactic’s passenger-carrying WhiteKnightTwo aircraft and VSS Unity spacecraft. However, in 2019, a year after Allen’s passing, the company shifted its focus to using the Roc as a platform for research and development of supersonic vehicles. The reusable Talon-A will be Stratolaunch’s first line of supersonic vehicles.
