US flies reusable hypersonic test vehicle for second time

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo by Stratolaunch

By Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. performed a second successful test of a reusable hypersonic test vehicle in March, the Pentagon said on Monday,  enabling quicker development of U.S. hypersonic capabilities.

Unlike single use rockets, the reusable vehicle can be put back to work quickly and more cheaply, helping the U.S. develop the next generation of arms that operate at several times the speed of sound, robbing adversaries of reaction time and evading traditional defenses.           

The first successful test of the Stratolaunch Talon-A reusable test vehicle in December 2024 was not publicized. Stratolaunch is an aerospace company based in Mojave, California.

"In both tests, the Stratolaunch Talon-A hypersonic vehicle launched from the Roc carrier aircraft, flew over the Pacific Ocean and achieved speeds greater than Mach 5 before landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base," the Department of Defense said.

Roc is the aircraft that Stratolaunch uses as its launch platform. It has a twin fuselage and is currently the world's largest aircraft.

The Talon-A test vehicle will be used to carry hypersonic weapons systems during their development. Component makers could test engines, sensors and communications equipment aboard the reusable versions of the Talon-A. 

The Hadley liquid rocket engine that propelled the Talon-A was made by startup Ursa Major, the company said in a release.     

Hypersonic weapons travel in the upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound, or about 6,200 km (3,853 miles) per hour.

Arms makers like Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and RTX Corp have all touted their hypersonic weapons programs.

Defense contractors hope to capitalize on the shift to hypersonic weapons not only by building them but also by developing new systems to detect and defend against them. 

 (Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio)