Hypersonic flight test contract for U.S. Navy won by Stratolaunch
NewsNovember 29, 2023
MOJAVE, California. Stratolaunch won a contract to conduct flight tests for the Navy's Multiservice Advanced Capability Test Bed (MACH-TB) program, managed by prime contractor Leidos, according to a statement by Stratolaunch.
The contract involves the deployment of Stratolaunch's Talon-A hypersonic vehicle in a series of five test flights, the company says. The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division, funds this initiative through the Strategic and Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA).
The MACH-TB program, under the direction of NSWC Crane, aims to evaluate hypersonic technologies using innovative and flexible methodologies, and the data gathered from these tests will aid the Department of Defense in assessing technological advancements and verifying capabilities, the statement reads.
Stratolaunch's Talon-A is a reusable autonomous hypersonic vehicle that is designed to serve as a high-frequency, high-speed platform for testing various hypersonic payloads, the company says.
