The Airframer Bulletin

Airframer · Stratolaunch Roc · Stratolaunch Systems Inc.

Every Bulletin story and press release covering Airframer · Stratolaunch Roc · Stratolaunch Systems Inc., newest first.

16 items

2026

19 February

ReleaseStratolaunch announces $90.8M contract award under MACH-TB 2.0 Task 3 for air-launched capability test vehicles

2025

8 May

Stratolaunch's Talon-A2 completes its first autonomous landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Stratolaunch makes second hypersonic flight and successful recovery

The TA-2 vehicle exceeded Mach 5 again in March 2025, confirming reusability and advancing the goals of the MACH-TB programme.

2023

7 December

Stratolaunch's Roc launch platform and Talon-A 1 (TA-1) hypersonic testbed take off for their first integrated captive carry flight from Mojave Air and Space Port on Dec. 3, 2023.

Stratolaunch completes captive carry flight with TA-1 test vehicle

While the company had conducted several successful ground tests fueling and igniting the system, it needed to evaluate how the system performs in the flight environment prior to release.

13 May

ReleaseStratolaunch successfully completes separation test of Talon-A vehicle

1 April

ReleaseStratolaunch completes third captive carry flight with Talon-A vehicle

2022

14 November

ReleaseStratolaunch announces contract with U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory

3 November

Stratolaunch's Roc aircraft takes off from Mojave Air and Space Port on October 28, 2022 during its first captive carry flight with the Talon-A separation test vehicle, TA-0. This was the eighth flight of the Roc aircraft.

Hypersonic Talon-A carries Roc on first flight

Stratolaunch's Roc aircraft took off from Mojave Air and Space Port on October 28 during its first captive carry flight with the Talon-A separation test vehicle, TA-0. This was the eighth flight of the Roc aircraft.

4 May

ReleaseStratolaunch carrier aircraft completes fifth flight with new pylon

3 March

Landing gear extension was the main aim of flight four.

Stratolaunch carrier nears operational status after gear tests

Stratolaunch's Roc carrier aircraft has completed its fourth flight test. The primary mission objective was to fully retract and extend the aircraft's landing gear for the first time.

25 January

ReleaseStratolaunch announces research contract with U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory

16 January

ReleaseStratolaunch Roc carrier aircraft completes third flight test

2021

29 September

Talon-A is a reusable hypersonic vehicle for hypersonic research, experiments, and enabling operational missions.

Hypersonic Talon-A completes critical design review

Launched from Stratolaunch's Roc carrier aircraft, the Talon-A is a rocket-propelled, autonomous, reusable testbed carrying customisable payloads at speeds over Mach 5.

6 May

Stratolaunch Talon-A separation article.

Stratolaunch carrier aircraft completes second flight

Talon-A is a fully reusable, autonomous, liquid rocket-powered Mach 6-class vehicle which can provide over 60 seconds of hypersonic flight test conditions. It needs a monster carrier aircraft to get it airborne.

2019

14 October

ReleaseStratolaunch transitions ownership

13 April

ReleaseStratolaunch completes historic first flight of aircraft

2017

19 September