New Zealand-based Dawn Aerospace has achieved a significant milestone in its quest to push the boundaries of private space exploration.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has approved the company’s Mk-II Aurora spaceplane to conduct test flights at unlimited speeds and altitudes up to 80,000 feet (24,400 meters).
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This certification marks a crucial step towards the vehicle’s ultimate goal of reaching 100 km altitude multiple times per day.
The Mk-II Aurora, a rocket-powered suborbital spaceplane, has completed over 50 successful test flights since its maiden voyage in July 2021. The recent regulatory approval results from close collaboration between Dawn Aerospace and local agencies, including the CAA, NZ Space Agency, Airways, and local airspace users. Together, they have worked diligently to ensure the safe integration of high-performance vehicles like the Mk-II Aurora with existing airspace users.
With the green light from the CAA, Dawn Aerospace is gearing up for an ambitious flight test campaign scheduled from July to September. The primary objective of these tests is to expand the Mk-II Aurora’s envelope to Mach 1.1 (supersonic) and reach an altitude of 70,000 feet. A secondary goal is to demonstrate the spaceplane’s rapid reusability by conducting two flights daily.
Stefan Powell, CEO of Dawn Aerospace, expressed his excitement about the upcoming tests, stating, “This unlocks the next major performance milestone for the Mk-II vehicle, namely supersonic flight. To the best of our knowledge, this would be the first privately funded UAV to break the sound barrier.”
The Mk-II Aurora’s capabilities are impressive. At full performance, it is expected to fly faster and 2.5 times higher than any previous aircraft that takes off from a runway, including the current record holder, the SR-71 Blackbird. “That is the power of bringing rocket performance to an aircraft platform,” Powell emphasized.
Beyond its suborbital aspirations, the Mk-II Aurora is a precursor to the more prominent Mark-III Aurora, which Dawn Aerospace envisions as the first stage for an air-launch platform. The Mark-III Aurora would deploy an upper stage to place satellites into orbit, revolutionizing how small payloads are delivered to space.
The successful development and testing of the Mk-II Aurora have already attracted significant interest from potential customers eager to utilize its capabilities for microgravity research and other applications. As Dawn Aerospace continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with privately funded spaceplanes, the company is paving the way for a new era of accessible and efficient space exploration.
- The upcoming flight test campaign will consist of up to 12 flights, divided into two sets of four flights each.
- The first set will progress from a top speed of Mach 0.4 and a peak altitude of 20,000 feet to Mach 0.7 and 45,000 feet.
- The second set will advance from Mach 0.7 to Mach 1.1, ascending to 70,000 feet.
- The flights will occur at Gentanner Aerodrome, the same airfield used for earlier low-altitude tests, and potentially at the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre.
The successful demonstration of supersonic flight and rapid reusability by the Mk-II Aurora contributes towards the new age of private space exploration, making suborbital and orbital access more achievable.
TL;DR:
- Dawn Aerospace’s Mk-II Aurora spaceplane approved for unlimited-speed, high-altitude test flights
- The flight test campaign aims to achieve Mach 1.1 at 70,000 feet and demonstrate rapid reusability
- Mk-II Aurora is expected to outperform the SR-71 Blackbird in speed and altitude
- Success could pave the way for air-launch platforms to deploy satellites into orbit
