It was a spectacular test in the skies above the Central Coast.
For the first time, a one-of-a-kind plane with a 385 foot wingspan launched an unmanned aircraft which will be used to test, and develop new technology for hypersonic flight.
It a project being developed by an aerospace research company called Stratolaunch.
On May 13, the company successfully released and flew one of its testing aircraft, which was called Talon-A. The four hour mission started at an airport in the Mojave Desert community of Mojave, and ended with the flight off of Vandenberg Space Force Base.
"What we were doing was a first release off of our big airplane called Roc," said Dr. Danny Millman, who is Stratolaunch’s Chief Technology Officer. "The primary reason for doing it was to see if we could get a clean separation off of Roc...and we did that in spades."
Millman talks about why they are developing the hypersonic flight test craft.
"Our goal is to make flight testing above five times the speed of sound affordable, and reusable," said Millman.
He said after each mission, the special aircraft will land at Vandenberg. It's expected to be about a month-long turnaround between flights. But, the one launched this month didn't have a rocket engine, and was intentionally glided into a crash landing in the ocean.
The Talon-A aircraft looks like a rocket with wings, or perhaps a more streamlined version of the Space Shuttle.
"It has some heredity with the X-15, the hypersonic airplane which flew in the 1960's. This is sort of a 2020's version," said Millman.
It's about 15 feet wide, and 30 feet long. Millman says not only is the Talon-A unmanned, it’s not even remotely piloted. It’s flights will be autonomous.
And, while Roc is the launch aircraft, it’s unique in its own way. It’s longer than a football field, powered by six of the huge jet engines you’d find on a Boeing 747, and is capable of carrying a 500,000 pound payload.
The goal is to provide new insight into hypersonic flight, which can be used for the development of military and commercial aircraft. They can create real flight conditions which are difficult to replicate in wind tunnels. The special craft can carry instruments, and materials to help explore issues like dealing with the impacts of intense heat during hypersonic flight.
Millman says they are thrilled the first actual flight went so well. He says they are planning more test flights off the Central Coast for later this year. Stratolaunch is hoping to have three of the reusable Talon-A craft in operation in 2024.
