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Massive Carrier Aircraft Roc to Help the U.S. Army Sharpen Its Hypersonic Skills

It looks like the U.S. Department of Defense wants to speed things up when it comes to hypersonic capabilities and the strategy against hypersonic threats. A recent contract awarded to the Stratolaunch testing expert for this type of flight, through the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), will provide the perfect threat-replicating target for advanced research.
The Roc carrier aircraft boasts a unique twin fuselage and in impressive payload 6 photos
Photo: Stratolaunch
Roc Carrier AircraftRoc Carrier AircraftRoc Carrier AircraftTalon-A Launch VehicleRoc Carrier Aircraft
Stratolaunch is at the forefront of high-speed technology, with its Roc carrier aircraft and Talon-A test launch vehicle. The company wants to make hypersonic research affordable, widely available and efficient, through the deployment of its revolutionary flying testbed. The research itself is conducted through the Talon-A vehicle, which is carried and launched by the Roc aircraft. In fact, Roc is able to launch several test vehicles in the air, on a single flight.

The Talon-A vehicle is 28-foot (8.5 meters) long, with a wingspan of approximately 11 feet (3.4 meters). When launched from the Roc, it can sustain an extensive flight at speeds over Mach 5, and then conduct an autonomous, horizontal landing. But it’s also capable of taking off autonomously from conventional runways.

Equipped with state-of-the-art instruments and able to carry classified payloads, for highly-secure data collection and transmission, this flying test platform is just what the Army needed. Another advantage of the Talon-A is that it’s reusable, meaning that onboard instrumentation and payload can be recovered, analyzed, and then used in future missions.

The Roc carrier aircraft is no less impressive, with its unique twin fuselage and large wingspan, bigger than that of any other airplane, and about the size of an American football field. Powered by six Boeing 747 engines and built with a reinforced center wing, the Roc has a whopping capacity of 500,000 lbs (226,796 kg).

The Roc aircraft has successfully completed its first test flight, with a second one coming up soon, while the first test vehicles, TA-0 and TA-1, will begin hypersonic flight testing in 2022. Services for the government and commercial partners are set to be delivered starting 2023.

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About the author: Otilia Drăgan
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Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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