Important Innovations

  Stratolaunch's Roc Carries a Hypersonic Vehicle to 23,000 Feet                                                  Source:  Stratolaunch Major Moves Toward Hypersonic Commercial Flying at Mach 6 The world's largest airplane, California-based Stratolaunch's Roc, with a wingspan longer than a football field, just aced a major test flight while carrying a hypersonic prototype plane.  The success is important on a number of levels.  It moves Stratolaunch, whose mission is to launch small, autonomous, rocket powered hypersonic vehicles from altitudes of 35,000 feet, closer to test flying its Talon A hypersonic vehicle.  And it moves the world closer to hypersonic flying at speeds of Mach 6 and more.  This will eventually include commercial passenger planes traveling at six times the speed of sound or 4,570 mph.  That would enable passengers to fly long distance air travel at warp speeds. Aviation Technologies Deployed Roc is a highly sophisticated payload release system specifica

Stratolaunch's Hypersonic Vehicles                                             Source:  Stratolaunch Big Aviation Technology Breakthroughs Mojave, California based, aerospace company Stratolaunch just unveiled its hypersonic vehicle Talon-A, known as TA-O. TA-O prototypes are designed to fly at speeds of Mach 5 or 3,705 mph.  In the very near future, the company intends to launch TA-O from its huge aircraft carrier Roc. Roc is the world's largest plane with a wingspan of 385 feet. It is 238 feet long and 50 feet tall.  It has successfully completed its fifth flight.  Founded by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the company is setting the pace for huge aviation technology breakthroughs. First Flight The first TA-O prototype vehicle will initially be carried into flight by Roc this year to access how the vehicle impacts Roc's flight dynamics. In 2023, TA-O will be launched from Roc to test Roc's launch and separation capabilities.  The first TA-O is unpowered.  Si