Stratolaunch Flies Hypersonic Test Vehicle to Near Mach 5 in First Payload Release

• Stratolaunch's massive Roc aircraft deployed the Talon-A hypersonic vehicle over the Pacific, marking the first time it released a real payload.

• The Talon-A vehicle, TA-1, reached high supersonic speeds near Mach 5 but did not quite achieve hypersonic velocity.

• TA-1 is a pathfinder for future reusable Talon vehicles that will reach hypersonic speed, with TA-2 potentially flying later this year.

• The flight demonstrated Ursa Major's Hadley rocket engine which powered the Talon vehicle.

• Stratolaunch has pivoted from orbital rockets to hypersonic vehicles, a military priority for the U.S. and other countries.