Test flight crews for Stratolaunch’s Roc shortened their mission Thursday after a malfunctioning sensor near the airplane’s left elevator on the left fuselage.
During Thursday’s mission, Roc was expected to gather flight data on its new carrier pylon and to expand its flight-test envelope. [File Photo Courtesy: Stratolaunch/Domenic Moen]
Key Takeaways:
Stratolaunch's Roc's sixth test flight was cut short due to a sensor malfunction, preventing the completion of all planned test objectives, though the aircraft landed safely.
The flight's primary goal was to test a new data boom on the pylon, crucial for Roc's role as an air-launch platform for Talon-A hypersonic test vehicles.
Roc is a significant asset for U.S. national security, contributing to hypersonic research and "threat replication" for missile defense, especially given global advancements in hypersonic weapons.
The sixth test flight for Stratolaunch’s Roc was abruptly shortened Thursday over California’s Mojave Air and Space Port (KMHV) after a sensor malfunctioned near the airplane’s left elevator on the left fuselage.
During a mission that Stratolaunch expected would last 3.5 hours, the flight crew chose to land the aircraft safely after an hour and 26 minutes.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
