In March 2025, the United States conducted its first successful test flight in half a century of a reusable hypersonic aircraft. Developed by Stratolaunch, the Talon-A drone exceeded Mach 5 after launching from the Roc carrier aircraft and flying over the Pacific Ocean, eventually landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The test was part of the Pentagon’s MACH-TB program, which aims to accelerate hypersonic technology development through commercial platforms.
Stratolaunch, founded in 2011 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, shifted its focus from orbital launches to hypersonics following Allen’s death. Its reusable Talon-A2 platform, powered by Ursa Major’s Hadley rocket engine, enables rapid and cost-effective flight testing. The Hadley engine, with 2.3 tons of thrust, runs on kerosene and liquid oxygen, making it ideal for small rockets and hypersonic systems.
The first version of Talon-A was expendable and reached speeds just below Mach 5. The new TA-2 model is fully reusable, dramatically improving testing efficiency. Pentagon officials hailed the test as a significant step toward fully recoverable hypersonic systems.
The success of Talon-A2 marks a turning point for Stratolaunch, which faced uncertainty after 2018. The company’s acquisition by Cerberus Capital Management and pivot to hypersonic testing attracted renewed interest and funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, cementing its role in advancing next-generation defense technologies.
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