Stratolaunch has completed a capital raise to expand production and flight-testing of hypersonic vehicles.
Elliot Investment Management joined the company’s funding round alongside existing investor Cerberus Capital Management, providing capital to accelerate carrier aircraft development and increase production throughput.
Stratolaunch provides integrated capabilities for testing and demonstrating hypersonic systems, including vehicle design, manufacturing, digital modeling, and operational support.
The recent investment will enable more frequent, operationally relevant demonstrations for the US Department of Defense, increasing domestic hypersonic testing capacity.
Stratolaunch noted that the funding aligns with US policy priorities to strengthen domestic defense manufacturing, remove barriers to deploying new technologies, and scale hypersonic capabilities more rapidly.
“At a time when speed, scale, capability, and execution matter more than ever, this investment enables Stratolaunch to move faster and think bigger,” stated Dr. Zachary Krevor, President and CEO of Stratolaunch.
“We’re building the infrastructure, vehicles, and flight capacity required to deliver hypersonic capability at a pace that matches the urgency of today’s threat environment.”
Testing Efforts
Stratolaunch is advancing its hypersonic test program through multiple initiatives.
Last year, the US Missile Defense Agency awarded the company a $24.7-million contract to support testing of advanced missile defense systems against hypersonic weapons.
As part of the agreement, Stratolaunch is upgrading its Spirit of Mojave 747 launch platform to integrate the Talon-A test vehicle, an autonomous and reusable hypersonic testbed.
In 2024, the company achieved the first powered flight of the Talon-A vehicle, which reached Mach 5 (6,175 kilometers/3,840 miles per hour).
The flight demonstrated air-launch release, engine ignition, acceleration, sustained climb, and a controlled water landing.
