Stratolaunch, a California-based aerospace company, has successfully conducted two hypersonic test flights of its Talon-A2 vehicle, marking a significant milestone in reusable hypersonic technology. The autonomous drone surpassed Mach 5, becoming the first of its kind to achieve this speed and land autonomously. These flights, part of a hypersonic testbed program for the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency, echo historical efforts like the X-15 program.
The Talon-A2 completed these groundbreaking tests in December 2024 and March 2025, as recently announced by Stratolaunch. This achievement signifies a major advancement in hypersonic flight, showcasing the vehicle’s speed, autonomous landing capabilities, and reusability. “We’ve now demonstrated hypersonic speed, added the complexity of a full runway landing with prompt payload recovery, and proven reusability,” stated Zachary Krevor, Stratolaunch’s president and CEO.
Talon-A2: A Reusable Hypersonic Testbed
The Talon-A prototype is an autonomous, reusable aircraft designed for hypersonic flight, exceeding five times the speed of sound. Deployed from Roc, the world’s largest airplane, the Talon-A2 is released over the Pacific Ocean to conduct its independent flight. Following the hypersonic test phase, the vehicle returns and lands at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Image: Stratolaunch's Roc aircraft carrying Talon-A
Stratolaunch, founded in 2011, initially focused on using Roc for launching rockets into space. However, after the passing of founder Paul Allen in 2018, the company shifted its focus to hypersonic vehicle development. This led to a 2021 contract with the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency to provide a testbed for hypersonic defense strategies.
From Talon-A1 to Talon-A2 and Beyond
The Talon-A program began with the Talon-A1, which conducted its first powered test flight in March 2024, achieving near hypersonic speeds. The Talon-A2, unlike its predecessor, is fully reusable, representing a significant step forward in cost-effective hypersonic testing. Stratolaunch is continuing development on future Talon-A versions, incorporating rocket propulsion and customizable payloads for hypersonic flight. The company is also developing the larger Talon-Z hypersonic vehicle and the Black Ice spaceplane, designed for orbital payload delivery and potential passenger transport.
Renewing the Hypersonic Race
The Talon-A2 flights represent a resurgence in U.S. hypersonic flight research, reminiscent of the X-15 program conducted by the U.S. Air Force and NASA. The X-15, air-launched from a B-52, flew 199 times over a decade before its conclusion in the late 1960s due to funding constraints and a shift towards orbital missions.
The Department of Defense has renewed its focus on hypersonic technology in response to advancements by other nations like China and Russia. The U.S. has yet to operate a reusable hypersonic vehicle, a capability that offers substantial cost savings. “Demonstrating the reuse of fully recoverable hypersonic test vehicles is an important milestone for MACH-TB,” George Rumford, director of the Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center, emphasized. He added, “Lessons learned from this test campaign will help us reduce vehicle turnaround time from months down to weeks.”
Conclusion: A New Era of Hypersonic Flight
The successful hypersonic flights and autonomous landings of Stratolaunch’s Talon-A2 represent a major step forward in reusable hypersonic technology. This achievement opens up new possibilities for hypersonic research and development, offering significant cost savings and faster turnaround times for testing. With further advancements in the Talon program, Stratolaunch is poised to play a key role in shaping the future of hypersonic flight and space access.
