The US Missile Defense Agency conducted a hypersonic flight test from Mojave Air and Space Port using Stratolaunch’s Talon-A3 vehicle and a modified Boeing 747-400 carrier aircraft.
Stratolaunch disclosed the March 6, 2026, mission in a May 21, 2026, announcement, saying the flight supported MDA’s Flight Test Experiment Other-04, or FEX-04.
The company said its Spirit of Mojave 747 carried the Talon-A3 vehicle aloft, allowing the hypersonic aircraft to begin its flight profile at high altitude.
The announcement did not disclose the vehicle’s speed, flight duration, test location after release, or specific MDA test objectives. Stratolaunch described the mission as part of continuing flight operations with MDA in support of hypersonic flight testing.
“Hypersonic testing requires precision, speed and reliable access to flight,” Stratolaunch President and CEO Zachary Krevor said. “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.”
The test comes as MDA works to expand US capability to detect, track, and eventually defeat hostile hypersonic weapons. Hypersonic systems generally fly faster than Mach 5 and can maneuver during flight, making them more difficult to track and intercept than traditional ballistic missiles.
Stratolaunch’s Talon-A vehicles are designed as reusable hypersonic test platforms that can gather data in high-speed flight environments. The company says the aircraft support government and industry efforts to advance hypersonic technologies.
The Spirit of Mojave is a modified Boeing 747-400 configured for air-launch missions and high-speed flight research. Stratolaunch said the aircraft gives the company a way to support flexible flight operations and rapid mission turnaround from conventional runways.
The March test also fits into a broader MDA push to accelerate hypersonic defense work.
MDA plans to demonstrate its ability to track and engage a hypersonic glide vehicle in fiscal 2027 through a test known as Project Maverick, according to budget documents released in April 2026.
The test is expected to involve a hypersonic glide vehicle flying up the US East Coast while elevated sensors track the target and a tactical battle manager fuses the data to support an “engage-on-remote scenario.”
The budget documents do not state whether Project Maverick will include an actual intercept. MDA Director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins told lawmakers in written testimony that the effort would demonstrate capabilities “across the kill chain.”
Project Maverick is part of a larger MDA effort called Low-Cost Defeat, which also includes a Low-Cost Interceptor initiative. MDA is seeking $460 million in fiscal 2027 for Project Maverick, Low-Cost Interceptor, and related advanced research efforts.
The work also connects to the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile defense architecture, which is intended to combine sensors, interceptors, and command-and-control systems for US missile defense. MDA serves as the engineering, integration, and test lead for that program.
Stratolaunch received a $24.7 million MDA agreement in January 2025 to support a hypersonic flight test campaign using the Spirit of Mojave and Talon-A system. At the time, Stratolaunch said the project would expand Talon-A flight capabilities beyond the US West Coast and support testing of advanced missile defense systems against hypersonic threats.
