US EditionUS flies reusable hypersonic test vehicle for second time
- Ursa Major and Stratolaunch conducted two successful reusable hypersonic test flights over the Pacific Ocean, achieving speeds above Mach 5 and recovering the Talon-A2 vehicle for reuse, with the tests occurring during late 2024 and early 2025, as announced on May 5, 2025.
- These flights occurred under the Defense Department's MACH-TB program, aiming to accelerate hypersonic weapons development amid concerns over Chinese and Russian advances.
- The Talon-A2 drone, equipped with Ursa Major's reusable Hadley liquid rocket engine delivering 5,000 pounds of thrust, surpassed Mach 5 and successfully touched down at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
- Ursa Major CEO Dan Jablonsky emphasized the company’s commitment to advancing technology in support of essential national security objectives, while maintaining their leadership position in hypersonic propulsion.
- The test flights demonstrate key progress in reusable hypersonic technology, enabling faster data retrieval and vehicle turnaround, which could support expanded military testing and defense network deployment.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Reduced funding slows MDA’s hypersonic interceptor development
The Missile Defense Agency is facing a roughly three-year delay in its plan to deliver an interceptor capable of defeating a hypersonic weapon in the glide phase of flight, according to its director.In an attempt to mitigate the delay, the agency truncated a competitive development effort years’ early, choosing one team to go it alone to design and build the Glide Phase Interceptor. But the program’s reduced funding levels have still slowed down…
Pentagon’s hypersonic milestone: Stratolaunch reusable vehicle breaks Mach 5
Launched from Roc, Stratolaunch’s massive carrier aircraft boasting a record-breaking 385-foot wingspan, the Talon-A2 drone was released over the Pacific Ocean. The post Pentagon’s hypersonic milestone: Stratolaunch reusable vehicle breaks Mach 5 appeared first on SpaceNews.
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