This is the first time anyone in the U.S. has flown a reusable hypersonic rocket plane since the X-15

First time anyone in the U.S. has flown a reusable hypersonic rocket plane since the last flight of the X-15 .

Stratolaunch 's Talon-A2 rocket plane launched from the belly of an enormous carrier aircraft over the Pacific Ocean and flew several hundred miles to Vandenberg , a military spaceport about 140 miles northwest of Los Angeles .

The aircraft touched down on a concrete runway that NASA once considered for Space Shuttle landings.

Hypersonic weapons ride at the top of the atmosphere, enhancing their maneuverability and ability to evade interceptors.

Temperatures outside the Talon-A vehicle can reach up to 2,000 Fahrenheit ( 1,100 Celsius) as the plane plows through air molecules.

The Pentagon has spent about $12 billion on hypersonic weapon development and testing since 2018 .

The Pentagon awarded a nearly $1.5 billion contract to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions for MACH-TB 2.0 .

The program aims to develop and demonstrate commercial hypersonic test vehicles.

Stratolaunch flew its huge carrier aircraft, named Roc , for the first time in April 2019 but ceased operations the following month .