Stratolaunch moved closer to the inaugural flight of its Talon hypersonic test vehicle, conducting a successful captive carry flight with live propellants over Southern California on Dec 3. The 3-hour, 22-minute flight involved the Roc carrier aircraft and the rocket-configured Talon TA-1 vehicle fueled with liquid oxygen (LOx). The test followed ground tests and a taxi test on Nov. 21, marking the first time flying with LOx on board. CEO Zachary Krevor stated that data collected from the flight would determine the need for another captive carry flight. The Talon is powered by the 5,000-lb.-thrust Ursa Major-built Hadley rocket engine, designed for hypersonic flight. The upcoming TA-1 mission will evaluate the complete system in free flight at full power.
