World’s Largest Aircraft Record Roc Stratolaunch, Flying 6 Hours Carrying a Hypersonic Vehicle

CALIFORNIA – The biggest plane in the world the Roc Stratolaunch made its second test flight with a carry hypersonic vehicle Talon-A Stratolaunch on Friday 13 January 2023. In a test flight called “Captive Carry” the Roc Stratolaunch aircraft broke the record for flying for 6 hours over the Mojave Desert of California, United States (US).

The Roc Stratolaunch took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in southeastern California on Friday morning and landed at the same location six hours later, at 5:51 p.m. local time. The Roc Stratolaunch aircraft reaches a maximum altitude of 22,500 feet or 6,860 meters.

“Our amazing team is continuing to make progress on the testing schedule. Through hard work, we are getting closer to a safe separation and the first hypersonic flight test,” said Stratolaunch CEO and President Zachary Krevor quoted by SINDOnews from the Space page, Monday (1/16/2023).

Also read; World’s Largest Aircraft Roc Stratolaunch First Fly Carrying Hypersonic Vehicle Prototype

Overall, this is the ninth test flight the Roc Stratolaunch has undertaken. However, this was the second test flight carrying the Talon-A Stratolaunch hypersonic test vehicle.

The “captive carry” tests lay the groundwork ahead of drop tests with the Talon-A hypersonic vehicle, which will begin later this year. “We are very excited for what this year brings as we bring hypersonic flight test services to our customers and the country,” said Krevor.

As well as being the Roc Stratolaunch’s longest flight, Friday’s test run marked the first time the plane has ventured outside the Mojave area. If all goes according to plan, the company will offer customers streamlined access to hypersonic environments using its Roc and Talon range of robotic vehicles.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen founded Stratolaunch in 2011. Its original goal was to launch a rocket into space from the air, a strategy used by Virgin Orbit with its LauncherOne rocket and Northrop Grumman with its Pegasus.

Also read; 7th Flight Test, Roc Stratolaunch Aircraft Reaches Maximum Altitude of 8,200 Meters

Allen died in 2018 and a year later Stratolaunch was bought by Cerberus Capital Management and started to shift its focus. The Roc, which has a wingspan of up to 385 feet, is now a research and development platform for air-launched hypersonic vehicles.

(wib)