Stratolaunch awarded $24.7M agreement by Missile Defense Agency for hypersonic flight test campaign

Stratolaunch is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $24.7M million competitive agreement by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to support national defense objectives through a groundbreaking hypersonic flight test mission.

The project will leverage modifications to Stratolaunch's Spirit of Mojave 747 launch platform to expand Talon-A flight capabilities beyond the U.S. western coast to a variety of global locations. The test campaign portion of the project, targeted to occur in the fourth quarter of 2025, will demonstrate critical capabilities for testing advanced missile defense systems against the growing global threat posed by hypersonic weapons.

"Stratolaunch is thrilled to provide the Missile Defense Agency with near-term, unparalleled hypersonic test capabilities using our reusable Talon-A and Spirit of Mojave platforms," says Dr. Zachary Krevor, CEO and President of Stratolaunch. "This mission will enhance our national security posture, enabling rapid testing of new missile defense architectures designed to defend against hypersonic threats."

"By enabling Talon-A launches from any airport capable of accommodating a 747, Stratolaunch is delivering on its commitment to provide its customers operational flexibility and global scalability. With this award, we reinforce our position as a key enabler of national security through cutting-edge hypersonic test capabilities, helping the United States maintain its leadership in an increasingly dynamic global threat environment," Krevor says.

"Hypersonic threats are difficult to detect and counter due to their speed, maneuverability, low-altitude flight paths, and unpredictable trajectories," says MDA Director of Systems, Targets and Countermeasures, Michael Kryzak. "We’re pleased to partner with Stratolaunch to test our defensive architecture against these potential threats."

The agreement awarded under the MDA Innovation, Science & Technology Broad Agency Announcement (HQ0860-23-S-0001), is fully funded with fiscal year 2024 research, development, test, and evaluation funds. The Spirit of Mojave 747 modification work will primarily occur at Stratolaunch's headquarters in Mojave, California.