First Talon-A Test Vehicle Unveiled for World’s Largest Airplane

Stratolaunch, operator of the world’s largest airplane, has unveiled a separation vehicle test article which will be used to demonstrate the massive aircraft’s air-to-launch capabilities.

Thom Patterson

Friday, May 27, 2022 at 07:27 AM ET

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Stratolaunch’s first iteration of its Talon-A launch vehicle is called TA-0. [Courtesy: Stratolaunch/Domenic Moen]

Key Takeaways:

Stratolaunch has unveiled its first Talon-A test vehicle (TA-0) to validate the air-to-launch payload release system of its massive Roc aircraft, which recently completed its fifth test flight.
TA-0 is a crucial step towards Stratolaunch's goal of providing hypersonic flight test capabilities, with future rocket-powered Talon-A versions designed to reach speeds above Mach 5.
The company aims to become a national test asset for government and commercial customers by 2023, eventually providing "threat replication" for the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency.

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Stratolaunch, operator of the world’s largest airplane, has unveiled a separation vehicle test article which will be used to demonstrate the massive aircraft’s air-to-launch capabilities.

This first Talon-A vehicle—dubbed TA-0— is critical to the mission of the airplane known as Roc. TA-0 will be used to test and validate Roc’s sophisticated payload release system. The airplane—the world’s largest by wingspan—completed its fifth test flight earlier this month.