Stratolaunch Systems, the company behind the world's largest aircraft, is making headlines again. The firm's Talon-A1 hypersonic test aircraft has successfully completed its first powered flight, which took place last weekend in Mojave, California.
For readers who may be unfamiliar with Stratolaunch, the US aerospace company originally set out to develop a unique air-launch-to-orbit system.
In a nutshell, the idea was that instead of being launched straight from the ground, a client's spacecraft would be mounted beneath a special launch aircraft, flown to a very high altitude, then released. The spacecraft would subsequently fire up its rocket engines to complete its journey into Earth's orbit.
It was envisioned that the system would be a less expensive and more efficient alternative to the fuel-hungry, single-use rockets which are typically used to take spacecraft from a launchpad on the ground all the way up to outer space (fighting Earth's gravity the whole time).
Stratolaunch also stated that turnaround time between launches would be much shorter than is currently possible, allowing for a larger number of launches within a given time period. The gigantic twin-fuselage launch aircraft that the company designed for its system is called the Roc.
Next-gen supersonic aircraft takes flight
By David Szondy
March 24, 2024
https://newatlas.com/aircraft/xb-1-boom-supersonic/
The first private supersonic aircraft since Concorde retired two decades ago has taken to the skies. On March 22, Boom's XB-1 supersonic demonstrator completed its maiden flight at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California.
When the last Concorde touched down on November 6, 2003, it didn't just seem like the end of an era, but a major technological step backwards. It was a rare example of the world losing an entire capability with the abandonment of commercial supersonic air travel without anything anywhere to replace it.
Today, NASA and a number of private companies are working on projects to reinstate faster-than-sound air travel that will not only carry passengers and cargo, but will be environmentally friendly and economically feasible. The latter is a polite way of saying that they hope it will make money.
Quarterhorse hypersonic aircraft program prepares to fly Mk1 prototype
By David Szondy
April 02, 2024
Fast-tracking the hypersonic era, Hermeus has rolled out the next prototype of its program, to create a family of aircraft that can fly beyond Mach 5. The Quarterhorse Mk 1 is scheduled to fly later this year, testing its high-speed takeoffs and landings.
The Mk 1 is the latest in the company's Mk 0 prototype, which made its first taxi tests last November. To illustrate the approach that Hermeus is taking toward creating hypersonic aircraft, each of the four prototypes under development are aimed primarily at testing one major phase of flight.
When I say that the Mk 0 made taxi tests, that was all the air frame was designed to do. This year's Mk 1 won't go hypersonic because it isn't remotely capable of such a thing. That's not surprising, because, while it can fly and has the profile of a hypersonic glide vehicle, it's powered by a lightweight GE J85 jet engine that can generate a mere 3,500 lb of thrust.
Boom's XB-1 cleared for supersonic test flights
By David Szondy
April 17, 2024
https://newatlas.com/aircraft/boom-supe ... ceed-mach/
Boom has been given permission to go supersonic by the US FAA. The first-ever Special Flight Authorization (SFA) to Exceed Mach means the company's XB-1 prototype will be allowed to break the sound barrier during its test flights.
So far, Boom's XB-1 has completed one wheels-down test flight, but if it's to travel faster than Mach 1, it has to have all the paperwork in order. Civilian supersonic flight is illegal in US airspace, so the company has to have special FAA permission to carry out its supersonic flight program.
In addition, clearing the XB-1, the permission also designated the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor at Edwards Air Force Base in California and part of the High Altitude Supersonic Corridor within the R-2515 airspace as a permissible area for Boom to conduct supersonic test flights.
