Leveraging technology developed under the Hypersonic Flight (HyFly) program, Falcon will address the implications of hypersonic flight and reusability using a series of hypersonic technology vehicles (HTVs) to incrementally demonstrate these required technologies in flight. The HTV-2 program will demonstrate enabling hypersonic technologies for future operational systems through rocket-boosted hypersonic flights with sufficient cross-range and down-range performance to evaluate thermal protection systems, aerodynamic shapes, maneuverability, and long-range communication for hypersonic cruise and re-entry vehicle applications. Technologies developed under Falcon would also allow for a low cost, responsive Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) capable of launching small satellites into low earth and sun synchronous orbits and will provide the nation a new, small payload access to space capability. The Falcon program addresses many high priority mission areas and applications such as global presence and space lift.

(Source: DARPA)