After trying to fly the biggest plane in the world, Stratolaunch embarks on a new project. The idea is to develop a reusable rocket capable of reaching hypersonic speed, reports Space News.
The rocket could be used for commercial transport, but the company would also like to attract the American government and especially the US Army. With hypersonic speeds, the Talon-A rocket could be particularly useful and effective in both offensive and defensive scenarios.
With this new device, Stratolaunch is initiating a change of strategy. She had encountered some difficulties with the death last year of the billionaire Paul Allen, who supported the project of the largest plane in the world. From now on, it would seem that Stratolaunch is more interested in hypersonic vehicles "at least for several years". A niche area of course, but where competition is less harsh and where opportunities are more numerous, underline our colleagues from Generation-nt.
A launch planned for 2022
The spacecraft, 8.5 meters long and 3.4 meters wide for 2.7 tonnes, can be transported and launched from the Stratolaunch plane, whose test flights will resume in September. The rocket can also take off on its own, via a take-off runway. Stratolaunch hopes to be able to put the Talon-A into service from 2022.
A more massive version of the rocket is also in the pipeline, the Talon-Z, as well as a reusable space vehicle, the Black Ice. The latter would be used to transport equipment and humans to space stations.
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