A company which is planning to do hypersonic flight testing off the Central Coast has expanded its fleet, thanks to the bankruptcy of another aerospace company.
Mojave, California based Stratolaunch received approval from a bankruptcy court to buy a specially modified Boeing 747 from Virgin Orbit.
Virgin had been using the plane to launch small rockets carrying satellites into orbit. The company filed for bankruptcy this week.
Stratolaunch has developed a rocket engine powered, unmanned test aircraft which will be used for hyperspace flight research. Plans call for the Talon-A craft to be carried aloft by the company’s existing jumbo aircraft, as well as the 747, and then released for the hyperspace flights.
The reusable research craft will then land at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
