On March 6, 2026, Stratolaunch successfully executed MDA’s Flight Test Experiment Other-04 (FEX)-04 flight test mission from Mojave Air and Space Port supporting ongoing hypersonic flight testing. Stratolaunch used the Spirit of Mojave aircraft to transport the Talon-A3 vehicle to the planned release conditions, which enabled the aircraft to begin its flight profile at higher altitudes. Within its fleet, Stratolaunch operates the world’s largest and fastest aircraft, which includes the Spirit of Mojave, a modified Boeing 747-400 designed for air-launch missions and high-speed flight research. The aircraft enables flexible global flight operations and rapid mission turnaround from conventional runways. The Talon-A fleet of aircraft serves as reusable hypersonic test platforms designed to collect data in high-speed flight environments.
“Hypersonic testing requires precision, speed and reliable access to flight,” said Stratolaunch President and CEO Dr. Zachary Krevor. “Each mission expands the nation’s ability to test and advance critical technologies, and we are proud to support our government partners as they accelerate innovation in high-speed flight.”
Originally proposed in 2018 as the Hyper-A, Stratolaunch is developing a reusable, rocket-powered, hypersonic flight vehicle called Talon-A that would be capable of flying at speeds of Mach 5 – Mach 7 (6,100–8,600 km/h; 3,800–5,300 mph). The aircraft is 28 ft (8.5 m) in length, with a wingspan of 11.3 ft (3.4 m), and is intended to have a launch mass of approximately 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) and be capable of runway landings.These vehicles provide a national capability to support government and industry efforts to advance hypersonic technologies. Future iterations of Talon-A will be testbeds carrying customizable payloads at speeds above Mach 5 with the capability for runway landings. Reuse would enable lower-cost access to sub-thermosphere hypersonic environments.
Stratolaunch Systems is a space transportation company specializing in the launch of spacecraft into orbit, with corporate headquarters located in Huntsville, Alabama . The company was founded in 2011 by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and Burt Rutan, founder of Scaled Composites, who previously collaborated on the creation of SpaceShipOne. The initial step will be to build a mobile launch system with three main components. The carrier aircraft will be built by Scaled Composites, the multi-stage launch vehicle built by Orbital Sciences, and the mating and integration system to be built by Dynetics, with the first test flight of the carrier expected in 2016.
