Stratolaunch Systems reports the second flight of their aircraft with the longest wings in the world. In three hours, Roc (the plane named in honor of a giant bird from Arabian and Persian mythology) successfully completed a series of maneuvers, after which it landed. The company reported this on its Twitter page.

In 2019, Stratolaunch made a series of speed runs on the runway, as well as made its first flight. However, after the death of Paul Allen, one of the founders of the company, Stratolaunch Systems first curtailed its missile development program, and then nearly closed.

Nevertheless, in the middle of last year, the company announced the resumption of the aircraft's flight program. And then it presented three things that the aircraft is capable of launching: a reusable space plane and two hypersonic gliders.

How Did The Roc Flight Take Place?

Now, on April 29, 2021, the plane, starting from an airfield in the Mojave Desert, took off for the second time and performed various flight maneuvers. It was flying for three hours, and then successfully landed.

The Roc is designed for 226.8 tons of payload. During a test flight, it reached a maximum speed of 199 mph and climbed to an altitude of 14,000 feet. The twin-fuselage Stratolaunch has a wingspan of 384.8 feet, making it the longest-winged aircraft in the world. In addition, it weighs 225.0 tons. Initially, it was created as an air system for launching several rockets or a spaceplane, which would make it possible to reduce the cost of launches.

RELATED: WWII-Era Plane Makes Emergency Ocean Landing Just Off-Shore Of Beach

Hypersonic Glider Is The Number One Goal For Stratolaunch

Stratolaunch flies
Source: Stratolaunch

Now the main efforts of the developers are directed to the project of the Talon-A hypersonic glider. At this moment, the prototype of the upper part of the glider and the SL-1 rocket engine are created.

Flying at a speed of five times the speed of sound is of great importance for military purposes. Several countries are reportedly already working on hypersonic weapons, and America is keen to keep up. Thus, Stratolaunch could figure in the plans of the Pentagon.

Another American company engaged in the development of the air-launch system is Virgin Orbit. In January of this year, the company successfully launched the LauncherOne sites from under the wing of an aircraft for the first time. Besides this, it put ten NASA satellites into orbit.

Sources: Stratolaunch, Space.com

NEXT: Its All About Hue As Audi Reveal Six Bespoke Color Editions Of The R8 LMS GT2