Stratolaunch completes separation test
One year after carrying a pylon on Roc’s centre wing, Stratolaunch has successfully completed a separation release test of the Talon-A separation test vehicle, TA-0. The 4 hours and 8 minutes flight was the eleventh for the company's launch platform and the second time the team has conducted flight operations in Vandenberg Space Force Base's Western Range off central California.
The flight performed risk reduction by demonstrating the Talon-A launch system can cleanly and safely separate hypersonic vehicles from the centre-wing pylon. It also confirmed telemetry between the vehicles and the base's communication assets, assuring that back-up telemetry data collection will occur during future hypersonic flight tests. First hypersonic flights of the expendable testbed are expected in late summer. (ah)