Aircraft
Stratolaunch Expands Hypersonic Test Fleet With 777
Third aircraft set to carry Talon-A hypersonic flight test vehicles to launch altitude
777 in desert, Stratolaunch branding
Stratolaunch’s newly-acquired 777 will undergo modification before commencing air-launched missions from California next year. © Stratolaunch

Stratolaunch has acquired an additional aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER, to support ongoing missions involving its reusable Talon-A hypersonic flight test vehicle. Alongside the private U.S. aerospace group’s existing carrier assets— the Boeing 747-400 ‘Spirit of Mojave’ and purpose-built ‘Roc’ aircraft—the former airliner will now be converted into an airborne ‘mothership’ to take Talon-A aloft.

Announcing the investment on September 30, Stratolaunch said that the 777 will expand its flight test infrastructure. Modifications to enable the air launch of the autonomous Talon-A vehicles from its fuselage are expected to be completed in 2027. These are to be released at altitude and fly in excess of Mach 5 before returning to land on a standard runway. 

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