Reusable spaceplane demonstrator completes 5 test flights in 3 daysBy David SzondyAugust 31, 2021Dawn Aerospace has successfully completed five test flights of its uncrewed Mk-II Aurora suborbital spaceplane in the skies over Glentanner Aerodrome on New Zealand’s South Island. The flights were conducted by the New Zealand-Dutch space transportation company from July 28 to 30, 2021 at altitudes of up to 3,400 feet (1,036 m), with the prototype airframe fitted with surrogate jet engines.
Finally some other NSF member got aware of Dawn Aerospace and started a topic. I think they are progressing very well on several developments. Possibly I'll share more info on request.
They don't look much different that Radian. I'm not seeing anything very substantial here either.
Radian has no hardware, while Dawn has small scale prototypes. Radian is trying to build a crewed vehicle, while Dawn's goal is an uncrewed smallsat launcher. Radian wants to build an SSTO, and Dawn is only trying for a two-stage design. They aren't really comparable at all.
Quote from: JEF_300 on 08/21/2022 02:13 amRadian has no hardware, while Dawn has small scale prototypes. Radian is trying to build a crewed vehicle, while Dawn's goal is an uncrewed smallsat launcher. Radian wants to build an SSTO, and Dawn is only trying for a two-stage design. They aren't really comparable at all.I'll admit that was a little harsh. They have complete flight hardwareRadian has been conducting test firings at Brereton airport for some time, but that's about all. I'm just very weary of a company that shows videos with no humans in shot (for scale) and a flight time of less than 2 minutes. There website says it's 4.8m long (IE just shy of 16 feet) and HTP/Kero. With an empty weight of 75Kg and GTOW of 280Kg thats a structural fraction of 26.7% and a stated goal of M3 to give microgravity of 180secs at above 100Km IE space.That potentially opens up the market for academic institutions and businesses that want sounding rocket type access with on-demand availablility. If they sell this as a turn-key package that will be a paradign shift in the industry from solid fuel expendable sounding rockets.Beyond that the Cp/Cm shift over the Mach range will be tough with an engine in the tail. The Mark III is supposed to be 18000Kg and a 250Kg to LEO. That's a payload fraction of 1.38%. Not what you'd expect from a TSTO with an expendable US. This suggests eithera) It'll be a TSTO and the US will be 1)Cost optimised IE Heavy, expendable or 2)Recoverable and reusable. orb) They are going to extend the Mark II into a full SSTO.
MK2 is suborbital only vehicle.
MK3 will be expendable 2nd stage with HTOHL booster ie rocket spaceplane. Mass fractions are about right for this RLV, given boosters extra dry mass due to wings and need to RTLS.
Electron is 2.3% as ELV.
Video is first rocket powered flight of MK2 which is quite an achievement especially as its an automous rocket plane built on shoestring budget. Over next few months they should slowly increase altitude.
Radian has been conducting test firings at Brereton airport for some time, but that's about all.
More than 3 decades since REL laid out in Spaceflight why Skylon had the engine positions it did and what happens if you try to operate with rear-mounted engines over a large Mach range and it seems that yet another spaceplane startup is going to ignore them.
I didn't know that. Awesome
The website says that the Mk-II's max speed is "Mach 3+". That's SR-71 territory. Difficult, but plenty achievable, particularly when using a rocket rather than an advanced jet engine. A rear engine will be just fine for the Mk-II. Mk-III is trickier, since first stage typically go much faster (Mach 10 for F9, Mach 16 for Atlas V). I guess it's possible that they intend for the Mk-III to be more of a pop-up rocket, like the crazy and inefficient proposals that have been discussed for making New Shepard a smallsat launcher. In the end I'm not too worried about it, because the Mk-III isn't what they're working on right now. Perhaps when they start actually working on it, they will discover that they have to redesign it to have centrally mounted engines, but that is a problem for later.
Quote from: JEF_300 on 08/22/2022 04:29 amI didn't know that. AwesomeYes. They are not entirely powerpoint engineering.Quote from: JEF_300The website says that the Mk-II's max speed is "Mach 3+". That's SR-71 territory. Difficult, but plenty achievable, particularly when using a rocket rather than an advanced jet engine. A rear engine will be just fine for the Mk-II. Mk-III is trickier, since first stage typically go much faster (Mach 10 for F9, Mach 16 for Atlas V). I guess it's possible that they intend for the Mk-III to be more of a pop-up rocket, like the crazy and inefficient proposals that have been discussed for making New Shepard a smallsat launcher. In the end I'm not too worried about it, because the Mk-III isn't what they're working on right now. Perhaps when they start actually working on it, they will discover that they have to redesign it to have centrally mounted engines, but that is a problem for later.Yes that's pretty much what I expect them to do. It puts them back at square one in design terms however. What Mark II teaches them about the flying characteristics of the vehicle is unlikely to transfer to their new Mark III designI'm not sure what it's made of. If it's CFRC then without serious TPS their operating limits will not be far above M3 anyway.
The heat loads for suborbital plane shouldn't be that high, see Virgin SpaceShip2.
Pushing toward 40 flights, averaging just under 1 a week now.
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 09/21/2022 10:39 amOMG I knew it was small but it's actually tinyIt's teeny tiny. That moment at the end surrounding the vehicle was a real LOL moment. I thought it was an airport, but actually, I think it's a road.This has put a real smile on my face. Both very serious and utterly hilarious at the same time. That said GNC and flight dynamics issues dont really scale (except when they get worse), so there's a lot to be said to solving issues with them at the smallest possible scale, before you scale up, so the control systems are rock solid. If they couldn't get it flying well at this scale they'd be doomed when they scale up. I'll wish them well with their test plan.
They operate out of strip near Mt Cook. COVID would of reduced tourist scenic flight air traffic considerably as borders have been closed for two years.
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 08/22/2022 01:27 pmThe heat loads for suborbital plane shouldn't be that high, see Virgin SpaceShip2.Except Mark III is not designed to be a sub-orbital plane. It's designed as the booster stage for a full up orbital launch vehicle. Staying with a maximum speed of M3 leaves the upper stage needing to make 19-20Machs to get to orbit. Historically the rule of thumb has been to split the delta 50/50 booster to US, but F9 its more 1/4-3/4s, so at least M6. So I think it's safe to say Mark III will need to at least double the top speed of Mark II. Time will tell how that works out for them.
From miltary point of view Dawn's spaceplane has significant advantage over pad based LVs. In a war launch pads would be high value targets and take out in short order if possible. Dawn's plane can operate from any airfield making them lot more resilent to attack. Being able to replaced down satellites quickly from remote airfields is big plus.
If things have gotten to the stage where launch pads are being targetted so will airfields.
Quote from: john smith 19 on 10/12/2022 07:08 amIf things have gotten to the stage where launch pads are being targetted so will airfields. There are far more airfields than launch pads.Of course, no air-launch vehicle can really launch from just any airfield; specific ground support equipment is needed, and could be targeted. But if that equipment is also mobile, perhaps finding it is harder.
In theory and field exercises airfield can be replaced by a stretch of roadway and wheeled GSE vehicles (off road capable military trucks). However keeping the aircraft in service and generating sorties will be much harder.
Launch-site-in-a-box (or the good old TEL) is much more viable than trying to shoehorn a rocket-carrier aircraft into a size and performance that allows it to take off from converted roadways whilst also acting as a launch platform.
$20 million for spaceplanes and green satellite propulsion! 🎉🛰️🌱We are proud to announce Dawn Aerospace has secured #funding from Kiwi investors - @IcehouseVenture, @gd1_vc and @movac_vc 👏#spacetech #vc #capitalraise
A milestone for hydrazine replacement: we now have 50 Dawn #satellite thrusters in orbit, all powered by non-toxic propellants! 🛰️To celebrate, @Stefan__Powell has written an update on #nitrous - why people love it, its drawbacks, and the road ahead👇
Khaki Rodway of Dawn Aerospace says at #NSRC2023 this morning that the company plans to start rocket-powered test flights of its Mk II Aurora spaceplane this month in New Zealand; subscale prototype of its Mk III vehicle, capable of going up to 100 km.
Khaki Rodway, Dawn Aerospace: Building a two-stage to orbit spaceplane. Started with subscale jet powered version to test out systems and air frame, flew 47 times. Concluded flights in September. #nsrc2023Jet engine replaced with rocket engine, did a tie down test. Will fly a rocket powered flight test later this month. #nsrc2023Rodway: Phase II of the flight system is suborbital flights above 100 km (Karman line) with payload. Dawn Mk-II Aurora and Mk-III are remotely piloted. Hope to have Phase II completed by the end of the year. Mk-III wouldbe capable of deploying satellites to orbit.Rodway: Development and testing being done in New Zealand. Will be brought to the USA. If Phase II is completed this year, will be in operation on suborbital flights by this time in 2024. #nsrc2023Rodway: Would like to have a vehicle in every spaceport. #nsrc2023
It’s a pretty straightforward path to HTHL reusable space launch, starting at low performance reusable first stage but with rockets, which are scalable smoothly all the way (potentially) to orbit as performance improvements are done.
HTHL does have advantages in terms of launch sites, which are getting crowded now.
IIRC Len Cornier, ex-North American Aviation
Quote from: john smith 19 on 03/03/2023 05:25 pmIIRC Len Cornier, ex-North American Aviation I think it's Len Cormier.
I actually like this concept a lot. Like XCOR’s Lynx but uncrewed (which honestly makes more sense nowadays, although ironically makes it harder to get approval in the US! …hence New Zealand flight testing…).It’s a pretty straightforward path to HTHL reusable space launch, starting at low performance reusable first stage but with rockets, which are scalable smoothly all the way (potentially) to orbit as performance improvements are done.HTHL does have advantages in terms of launch sites, which are getting crowded now.
They are very much like XCOR (they even use CSJ engines). I wonder if they will realize why tip rudders are nice once they start expanding the flight envelope; I wouldn't be surprised if it gets more Lynx-like in the future. I also wonder if they will eventually evolve to something similar to XCOR's orbital concept.
✅Dawn's Mk-II Aurora spaceplane has been certified for rocket-powered flight! 🚀An update from our CEO, @Stefan__Powell:
Certified and Ready for Rocket-Powered FlightMar 24Mk-II Aurora Integrated Ground TestBy Stefan Powell, CEO I am excited to announce we have received certification from the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA) for the imminent rocket-powered flight campaign of our Mk-II Aurora spaceplane. The mission of the Mk-II Aurora is to fly to space twice in a day and, in doing so, demonstrate that rocket-powered systems can be as reusable as commercial aircraft. This marks the first time a remotely piloted, rocket-powered vehicle has been certified for flight out of a civil airport.Certification as an aircraft is a crucial step towards our mission, as it allows us to operate without excluding other airspace users. This enables us to integrate with existing airspace and fly as frequently as the vehicle permits, rather than as often as we can clear the airspace.In the past, utilising surrogate jet engines, we have achieved two flights within hours and four flights in a day. Rapid reusability is a key property that enables both swift iteration in development and unparalleled utility of the end product.Aside from being a key technology demonstrator, the Mk-II holds significant commercial promise as a suborbital vehicle, spanning a wide range of applications such as earth monitoring, microgravity research, disaster management, and in-situ atmospheric measurements - providing unprecedented enhancements to weather and climate models.Our team has been diligently designing and building the Mk-II Aurora spaceplane since 2018. We have completed 48 test flights using jet engines, validating all non-rocket systems.We have now also concluded static integrated testing of the Mk-II Aurora engine. During the rocket engine's development, it was fired 112 times, including seven instances where it was integrated with the vehicle.With vehicle certification and integration testing completed, we are thrilled to announce that rocket-powered flights are set to begin within the next month. Initial flights will continue to follow a build-up approach, as we have done in the past. The first flights will reach modest speeds and altitudes while aiming to maintain the rapid test cadence we have previously demonstrated using surrogate jet engines.Exciting times ahead!
Small note: it's hard to see in their pic but the Mk-III has two pods for what appear to be air-breathing engines. Likely for self-ferry, loiter and return to launch (takeoff?) site.
Image of the ground test.
Dawn Aerospace completed its first series of rocket-powered flights last week.Mk-II Aurora, a scaled down version of the spaceplane Dawn is developing for commercial operations, took to the skies March 29, 30 and 31 from New Zealand’s Gentanner Aerodrome.The initial test campaign validated key flight systems and demonstrated the benefit of rapid reusability, Dawn CEO Stefan Powell told SpaceNews.During the first flight, the Mk-II Aurora consumed more fuel than anticipated due to a leak in the propellant system. The next day, Dawn engineers removed the Mk-II Aurora engine, took out the oxidizer tank and found the leak.“It was reasonably trivial to fix that, put it back together and fly again,” Powell said. “That speaks to just how different this concept is than a regular rocket. Not only would you have not gotten the vehicle back, but you wouldn’t have been able to execute a repair and show that it works in the same day.”<snip>The Mk-II is designed to reach an altitude of 20 kilometers. During initial flight tests, the vehicle flew to roughly 2,000 meters and traveled at a maximum speed of 315 kilometers per hour.
Max altitude of 20km seems bit low for suborbital vehicle. If it can still provide a few minutes of zeroG then they should have viable business.
The test campaign, which is taking place from the Glentanner Aerodrome in New Zealand, will eventually see this vehicle top out at about 20 kilometers. The lessons learned from this plane will be put into a second version of the Mk-II Aurora, which could take flight before the end of this year or early in 2024.In an interview, Dawn Aerospace chief executive Stefan Powell said this second vehicle would have a far lighter structure, a more powerful engine, and other features that would allow it to climb far higher. The goal is to fly the spaceplane to an altitude of 100 km, above the internationally recognized boundary of space.
🎙️ Today on the show, I’m joined by Stefan Powell, CEO of @DawnAerospace, to talk about their big news: they flew their rocket-powered spaceplane 3 times in 3 days last week!We chat about the company, their plans for the future, and their flights.
I love it. I actually do think that at the very small scale, HTOL isn't totally nuts. And if it's in a place with rational air space regulations like New Zealand (not the US, obv), then you can make it a drone instead of crewed.(This thing is tiny, right? Like 4.5 meters long? This is the same scale as one of those big hobby R/C 1:4 scale fighter jets.)At this scale, you can be a garage startup and maybe hope to get to the Karman Line. Reusably. Then scale up and do maybe microlaunch or something with an HTOL first stage, ala Xcor's Lynx MkIII.
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 04/05/2023 06:45 pmMax altitude of 20km seems bit low for suborbital vehicle. If it can still provide a few minutes of zeroG then they should have viable business. That is not a typo for MK-II. Mk-III will be much higher and carry an expendable second stage to reach orbit.
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 04/05/2023 07:12 pmQuote from: TrevorMonty on 04/05/2023 06:45 pmMax altitude of 20km seems bit low for suborbital vehicle. If it can still provide a few minutes of zeroG then they should have viable business. That is not a typo for MK-II. Mk-III will be much higher and carry an expendable second stage to reach orbit.Even if the Mk-III design carries an expendable second stage to reach orbit, it could in some ways behave more like a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane than a TSTO spaceplane because it is not designed to be launched from a mother aircraft or atop a large rocket stage.
That is a flat out no for SSTO. There are no sustainer engines on any stage burning from horizontal take-off all the way to the inital orbital insertion during the burn of the flight to even be called an SSTO. A carrier aircraft is classed as Stage-0.
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 04/07/2023 04:40 amThat is a flat out no for SSTO. There are no sustainer engines on any stage burning from horizontal take-off all the way to the inital orbital insertion during the burn of the flight to even be called an SSTO. A carrier aircraft is classed as Stage-0.If you're counting the carrier aircraft as Stage 0, then the rocket itself (which has only one stage) would be an SSTO, no? Although if you wanted to call the plane Stage 1 and the rocket Stage 2 (thus making it a TSTO), I wouldn't argue.
Quote from: trimeta on 04/07/2023 02:34 pmQuote from: russianhalo117 on 04/07/2023 04:40 amThat is a flat out no for SSTO. There are no sustainer engines on any stage burning from horizontal take-off all the way to the inital orbital insertion during the burn of the flight to even be called an SSTO. A carrier aircraft is classed as Stage-0.If you're counting the carrier aircraft as Stage 0, then the rocket itself (which has only one stage) would be an SSTO, no? Although if you wanted to call the plane Stage 1 and the rocket Stage 2 (thus making it a TSTO), I wouldn't argue.The previous poster was referring to the Mk-III version which is flying the second stage therefore it is TSTO. It is not being released from a carrier aircraft. Dawn Aerospace is classing their system as a TSTO system.
Dawn flies rocket-powered spaceplane [dated Apr. 5]Quote from: SpaceNewsDawn Aerospace completed its first series of rocket-powered flights last week.Mk-II Aurora, a scaled down version of the spaceplane Dawn is developing for commercial operations, took to the skies March 29, 30 and 31 from New Zealand’s Gentanner Aerodrome.The initial test campaign validated key flight systems and demonstrated the benefit of rapid reusability, Dawn CEO Stefan Powell told SpaceNews.During the first flight, the Mk-II Aurora consumed more fuel than anticipated due to a leak in the propellant system. The next day, Dawn engineers removed the Mk-II Aurora engine, took out the oxidizer tank and found the leak.“It was reasonably trivial to fix that, put it back together and fly again,” Powell said. “That speaks to just how different this concept is than a regular rocket. Not only would you have not gotten the vehicle back, but you wouldn’t have been able to execute a repair and show that it works in the same day.”<snip>The Mk-II is designed to reach an altitude of 20 kilometers. During initial flight tests, the vehicle flew to roughly 2,000 meters and traveled at a maximum speed of 315 kilometers per hour.
Dawn Aerospace completed its first series of rocket-powered flights last week.Mk-II Aurora, a scaled down version of the spaceplane Dawn is developing for commercial operations, took to the skies March 29, 30 and 31 from New Zealand’s Gentanner Aerodrome.The initial test campaign validated key flight systems and demonstrated the benefit of rapid reusability, Dawn CEO Stefan Powell told SpaceNews.During the first flight, the Mk-II Aurora consumed more fuel than anticipated due to a leak in the propellant system. The next day, Dawn engineers removed the Mk-II Aurora engine, took out the oxidizer tank and found the leak.“It was reasonably trivial to fix that, put it back together and fly again,” Powell said. “That speaks to just how different this concept is than a regular rocket. Not only would you have not gotten the vehicle back, but you wouldn’t have been able to execute a repair and show that it works in the same day.”<snip>The Mk-II is designed to reach an altitude of 20 kilometers. During initial flight tests, the vehicle flew to roughly 2,000 meters and traveled at a maximum speed of 315 kilometers per hour.
Quote from: Yiosie on 04/05/2023 06:17 pmDawn flies rocket-powered spaceplane [dated Apr. 5]Quote from: SpaceNewsDawn Aerospace completed its first series of rocket-powered flights last week.Mk-II Aurora, a scaled down version of the spaceplane Dawn is developing for commercial operations, took to the skies March 29, 30 and 31 from New Zealand’s Gentanner Aerodrome.The initial test campaign validated key flight systems and demonstrated the benefit of rapid reusability, Dawn CEO Stefan Powell told SpaceNews.During the first flight, the Mk-II Aurora consumed more fuel than anticipated due to a leak in the propellant system. The next day, Dawn engineers removed the Mk-II Aurora engine, took out the oxidizer tank and found the leak.“It was reasonably trivial to fix that, put it back together and fly again,” Powell said. “That speaks to just how different this concept is than a regular rocket. Not only would you have not gotten the vehicle back, but you wouldn’t have been able to execute a repair and show that it works in the same day.”<snip>The Mk-II is designed to reach an altitude of 20 kilometers. During initial flight tests, the vehicle flew to roughly 2,000 meters and traveled at a maximum speed of 315 kilometers per hour.That 20km altitude comment is bit misleading sounds like it is max. Specifications on webpage is 110km with upto 180seconds of microgravity.https://www.dawnaerospace.com/spacelaunch
Where is the dislike button?An image says more than a thousand words. thus ...
Our first ever composite common dome structure is on the test stand as we undergo development testing for our Medium Launch Vehicle. This configuration allows us to cut out the entire intertank, significantly reducing vehicle weight with fewer parts. pic.twitter.com/hltMeP6qnE
Good article on why Dawn use nitrous oxide and propylene (aka propene) to fuel their satellite thrusters. Auroa II rocket plane uses H202 as oxidizer not sure of propellant. Engine has monopropellant mode which is H202, for low thrust. See the latest youtube video from them and comments.
These are the faces of a happy team holding the 100th B20 thruster off the production line! A milestone we hit last week!🎉🚀#greenpropulsion
The first B20 was produced in 2020. Since then, we have scaled up production significantly and are now producing them at rate of 2 per week. This year alone, we’ll produce and ship 100 of these to customers around the globe 🛰
Excellent video on their spaceplane. Didn't know it was electric pump rocket engine, kind of makes sense given they are a NZ+Dutch company.
twitter.com/astro_rayyanah/status/1663289138831867904QuoteThe first B20 was produced in 2020. Since then, we have scaled up production significantly and are now producing them at rate of 2 per week. This year alone, we’ll produce and ship 100 of these to customers around the globe 🛰
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 05/30/2023 06:40 amtwitter.com/astro_rayyanah/status/1663289138831867904QuoteThe first B20 was produced in 2020. Since then, we have scaled up production significantly and are now producing them at rate of 2 per week. This year alone, we’ll produce and ship 100 of these to customers around the globe Which also means they have a regular cash flow and are not entirely investor dependent.Doesn't guarantee success, but it does improve their odds a bit.
twitter.com/astro_rayyanah/status/1663289138831867904QuoteThe first B20 was produced in 2020. Since then, we have scaled up production significantly and are now producing them at rate of 2 per week. This year alone, we’ll produce and ship 100 of these to customers around the globe
The first B20 was produced in 2020. Since then, we have scaled up production significantly and are now producing them at rate of 2 per week. This year alone, we’ll produce and ship 100 of these to customers around the globe
Could've also included XCOR but video was about Dawn not history of spaceplanes.
Go Falcon, go D-Orbit, go Dawn! 🚀Congratulations to D-Orbit on a successful launch aboard @SpaceX's Transporter8. We’re proud to supply the propulsion which will now take D-Orbit’s customers on to their operational orbit.The number of Dawn thrusters in space is now 63!✨🛰
Dawn Aerospace has promoted Johann Joubert to the role of Head of In-Space Propulsion.Dawn Aerospace has promoted Johann Joubert to the role of Head of In-Space Propulsion.Dawn Aerospace, a space transportation company based in NZ, the Netherlands, and the United States, is on a mission to provide sustainable and scalable ways to access and move around in space. The company is the fastest growing supplier of green propulsion for satellites in the world and has an ever-growing amount of hardware in space having flown on Falcon 9, Soyuz and Vega rockets. Dawn is also building a spaceplane – a launch vehicle that combines the performance of a rocket with the rapid reusability and fleet economics of an aircraft.Joubert joined Dawn with an impressive background in engineering and space. After several design engineer roles developing hardware and embedded systems in the mining & military industries in South Africa, he got his start in the space industry with Space Advisory Company as a technical advisor to companies building satellites. He went on to become the first South African employee of New Space Systems where he oversaw engineering and led the company’s growth for seven years.Joubert joined Dawn in August last year as a Project Manager role but was recently promoted to the Head of In-Space Propulsion, a 50-person team that was, until recently, led by CEO, Stefan Powell.Joubert said, “It’s great to be in a company that has a massive vision. We’re doing revolutionary things. I’m excited to be leading a team that is disrupting the hydrazine space industry and enabling our clients to offer a complete solution rather than just saying here are the parts, away you go. I think it’s a massive game changer.”Dawns’ systems use readily available fuels, nitrous oxide and propylene, which provide safer handling and huge cost savings compared to traditional hydrazine propulsion.CEO, Stefan Powell said, “I’m super excited to have someone as experienced and capable as Johann to hand the reins to. It’s a key role. In-space propulsion is currently the financial backbone of Dawn. Johan impressed us with not only his technical knowledge but also his leadership skills.”Dawn Aerospace also made headlines earlier this year when they flew their spaceplane technology demonstrator, the Mk-II Aurora, under rocket-power for the first time. Read more about Johann’s career journey here.
Mk-II Aurora looking fine on the cover of @BIS_spaceflight magazine ✨Pick up a copy of the August issue to read @Stefan__Powell's interview on the iterative process we’re taking to turn the long-held dream of a spaceplane into a reality 🚀
Oct 18, 2023Dawn's manufacturing team welcomed a new 5-axis mill to the workshop in July! This was another step in scaling up our production to meet growing customer demand for our in-space propulsion systems.
Dawn aren't the only startup developing spaceplanes.Polaris from Germany are using similar development program to Dawn. Start with subscale technology demostrators before scaling up, adding rocket engine and expanding flight envelope.https://www.polaris-raumflugzeuge.de/Technologyhttps://www.space.com/polaris-spaceplanes-mira-light-flight-test-campaign-complete
Dawn Aerospace achieves key rocket engine milestoneDawn Aerospace has successfully completed a full-duration, bi-propellant test of the Mk-II Aurora spaceplane’s rocket engine. The Mk-IIA engine was fired for 112 seconds at their test facility in Christchurch, New Zealand. This engine will be fitted to the Mk-II Aurora, a subscale technology demonstrator for the Mk-III – Dawn’s two-stage to orbit solution for scalable and sustainable space access. The Mk-II Aurora has already completed 50 test flights, 47 with jet engines and 3 under rocket power in March 2023. Dawn’s propulsion team have been working on improvements in preparation for the next set of flight tests, set to take the vehicle to supersonic speeds and above 20km altitude in early 2024 to complete the test campaign of the Mk-IIA. The rocket engine utilizes HTP and kerosene as propellants, rather than the more commonly used liquid oxygen, due to their storability and deep throttling capabilities. These are crucial factors as Dawn builds towards having a global fleet of spaceplanes with aircraft-like operations. Ralph Huijsman, Lead Propulsion Engineer, commented: “While HTP is the right long-term choice for the spaceplane, it led to some interesting challenges in the development of the engine. The available information is extremely limited and is often outdated or walled off. This meant we ran into some fundamental challenges along the way that were difficult to engineer our way out of. That makes this achievement even more special. It is exciting to see everything come together and work flawlessly.” CEO of Dawn Aerospace, Stefan Powell said: “The team has put in significant work to reach this milestone. We're excited about our future flights where we’ll fly MUCH higher and faster than ever before.” The next phase in the development roadmap for the Mk-IIA is to test critical aspects of operating the vehicle such as high-altitude operations and BVLOS flights (beyond visual line of sight). The Mk-IIB will incorporate all the learnings from the Mk-IIA to achieve an optimised vehicle for flights to 100 km. In doing so, it will be the first vehicle to fly to space twice in a day. The Mk-IIB will be a uniquely capable vehicle with commercial applications in atmospheric, microgravity, and high-speed flight research as well as earth observation.
Ralph Huijsman, Lead Propulsion Engineer, commented: “While HTP is the right long-term choice for the spaceplane, it led to some interesting challenges in the development of the engine. The available information is extremely limited and is often outdated or walled off. This meant we ran into some fundamental challenges along the way that were difficult to engineer our way out of. That makes this achievement even more special. It is exciting to see everything come together and work flawlessly.”
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 12/12/2023 03:31 amRalph Huijsman, Lead Propulsion Engineer, commented: “While HTP is the right long-term choice for the spaceplane, it led to some interesting challenges in the development of the engine. The available information is extremely limited and is often outdated or walled off. This meant we ran into some fundamental challenges along the way that were difficult to engineer our way out of. That makes this achievement even more special. It is exciting to see everything come together and work flawlessly.” True. Not the least of which will be the low Isp they'll have to work with in order to 2nd stage launch altitude and velocity. This will make the structural mass available for vehicle (and the 2nd stage it's going to be carrying) even more challenging than with kerolox. Obviously not going for actual SSTO (even the assisted kind Radian are aiming for) helps but that low Isp (a poor jet is looking at Isp of 3000s, 450secs is the vac Isp of the SSME) really hurts structural fraction.I'll wish them good luck. And Merry Christmas to all.
And then - small satellites with an expendable upper stage. Admittedly, Rocketlab probably killed that market - well SpaceX F9 rideshares probably killed it for real.
Part of the engine gets red hot!
Quote from: Emmettvonbrown on 12/13/2023 05:29 pmAnd then - small satellites with an expendable upper stage. Admittedly, Rocketlab probably killed that market - well SpaceX F9 rideshares probably killed it for real.If that market is dead (and I'm not convinced it is), an LV with a rapidly reusable first stage would be just the sort of thing that might be able to reopen it.
I think the beter discription of the purpose for Dawn Aerospace mkII Aurora is :Atmosphere probing vehicle.
Quote from: john smith 19 on 12/13/2023 02:58 pmQuote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 12/12/2023 03:31 amRalph Huijsman, Lead Propulsion Engineer, commented: “While HTP is the right long-term choice for the spaceplane, it led to some interesting challenges in the development of the engine. The available information is extremely limited and is often outdated or walled off. This meant we ran into some fundamental challenges along the way that were difficult to engineer our way out of. That makes this achievement even more special. It is exciting to see everything come together and work flawlessly.” True. Not the least of which will be the low Isp they'll have to work with in order to 2nd stage launch altitude and velocity. This will make the structural mass available for vehicle (and the 2nd stage it's going to be carrying) even more challenging than with kerolox. Obviously not going for actual SSTO (even the assisted kind Radian are aiming for) helps but that low Isp (a poor jet is looking at Isp of 3000s, 450secs is the vac Isp of the SSME) really hurts structural fraction.I'll wish them good luck. And Merry Christmas to all. ISP isn't everything other wise everbody would be using hydrolox. There are operational considerations. Fuel delivery, storage and handling at remote airfields, not cheap or easy with LOX. HTP allows engine to run in lower thrust monopropellant mode, they use this for taxiing and inflight maneuvers, with bipropellant mode used for climb to space, watch the videos.
Part of the engine gets red hot!The other advantage of HTP is its high density. 1.4424 kg/L compared to LOX at 1.149 kg/L. It also has a high oxidiser to fuel ratio, typically over 7! At delta-Vs below 7 km/s, this results in smaller tank sizes compared to kerolox for the same performance. Another advantage is that no ignition source is required. Decomposed HTP will ignite spontaneously with kerosene due to its high decomposed temperature.
Yeah, density is sometimes even more important than Isp, ESPECIALLY for an SSTO rocket.
LOX is also capable of simple densification down to maybe 79-80k just with LN2 (based on the temperature loss through the X33 sub-cooling HX). I think that would get you up to about 1.2Kg/L.
You can get 1.2539 kg/L at -206.7 C (66.5 K), 11.6 K above the freezing point of -218.3 C (54.9 K).
Fire 'em up!🔥Check out this sneak peek of a long(er) duration burn of our next-gen B20thrusters – now steady state capable for those more demanding maneuvers🌌Watch this space 👀✨
How big is a satellite?🛰People are often surprised that many satellites are the size of a loaf of bread🍞 These small sats need small engines for mobility🌌Enter the CubeDrive, a rocket engine for CubeSats ✨(and Dawn’s first system launched to orbit, way back in 2020).
Groundbreaking announcement coming soon.
Dawn Aerospace’s Rocket-Powered Aircraft, Certified for Supersonic FlightChristchurch, New Zealand – 12th July, 2024 – Dawn Aerospace, proudly announces that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has awarded it a certificate to fly the Mk-II Aurora at unlimited speeds, including supersonic, up to 80,000 feet altitude. This certification permits operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) without the need for restricted airspace.The Mk-II Aurora is a rocket-powered aircraft, designed to be the first vehicle ever to fly to 100 km altitude, the edge of space, twice in a single day. It is rapidly reusable and low cost, making it well suited for a variety of applications in microgravity, high speed flight research, earth observation, as well as other defence and civil uses. “This unlocks the next major performance milestone for the Mk-II vehicle, namely supersonic flight,” said CEO, Stefan Powell. “To the best of our knowledge, this would be the first privately funded UAV to break the sound barrier.”This certification is the result of years of close collaboration between Dawn Aerospace and local agencies, including the CAA, NZ Space Agency, Airways and local airspace users. Together, they have worked to understand how to safely integrate high-performance vehicles with existing airspace users, addressing the necessary vehicle and operational requirements.Since the first flight of the Mk-II Aurora in July 2021, Dawn has completed 50 flight tests under both jet and rocket power, operating under more restrictive licenses.“Receiving this certification is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, and their ability to operate such a high-performance vehicle to the standards the CAA expects of any aircraft operator,” said Powell.The Mk-II vehicle is now poised to take a significant step towards its ultimate goal of flying to 100 km altitude multiple times per day. Achieving this would also set records for speed, altitude, and climb rate for a self-powered aircraft.“At full performance, the Mk-II will fly faster and 2.5 times higher than any prior 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,” said Powell.Since its last flights in 2023, where it achieved speeds of 200 knots and altitudes of 9,000 feet, the Mk-II vehicle has undergone extensive upgrades and testing. The final pre-flight test, an all-up systems test, included a 60-second firing and restart of its engine to demonstrate go-around capability.The upcoming flight test campaign, scheduled from July through September, will consist of up to a dozen flights. The primary objective is to expand the vehicle's envelope to Mach 1.1 (supersonic) and 70,000 feet. A secondary objective is to demonstrate two flights in a day to showcase rapid reusability.Stefan concluded with “I would like to publicly thank all NZ public agencies and local airspace users for their continued support in our mission of scalable and sustainable space transportation”.
The Mk-II Aurora during an all-up systems test in June 2024.
🛰️️⛽️Exciting Refueling News!⛽️🛰️️Dawn is on a mission to bring scalable and sustainable mobility to every satellite.We started by revolutionizing the fuels satellites use. In 2021, we were the first (of now many!) to make nitrous in-space propulsion a reality, and have customers all over the world lining up to use it.We are excited to unveil the next step in that journey with the unveiling of our docking and refueling port!From 2025 onwards, Dawn SatDrive propulsion systems will be equipped with our docking and refueling port as standard and at no extra cost, replacing the manual propellant service valves.We are doing this because we believe in the unforeseeable future – we don’t know who, when or how the satellite refuling story will play out. We only know that the sooner satellites are ready for it, the sooner they will reap the benefits; major life extension, VLEO missions, dynamic space operations, and a mission not limited by your one tank of gas.Read the full PRESS RELEASE here: https://www.dawnaerospace.com/latest-news/dftport #docking #refueling #sustainability
🎉 🛫 First Mk-II Aurora contract in the bag! 🛫 🎉 We are excited to announce our partnership with @SCOUTdotspace for a first-of-its-kind tactically responsive VLEO space domain awareness capability! This will be the first of many commercial applications for the Mk-II Aurora. A technology demonstration flight is planned for November of this year from the @Tawhakijv National Aerospace Center. A word from our CEO on the partnership: “Customers like Scout Space see the potential to pair their product with our unique platform to create whole new capabilities and markets. The fact that we have customers wanting to get involved already, even though we are still in the development phase, is indicative of just how game-changing this is. We are very excited to bring these new markets to life with Scout Space”
Full system 🔥 hotfire🔥 test complete ✅. We are now flight-ready for Campaign 2-3 and attempting to fly supersonic!Yesterday at the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Center, we completed the final full system, to prove all systems are ready to push the limits once again.Just 4 weeks ago, we were out flying, reaching Mach 0.92 and 50,000ft.Since then, the team has been busy with upgrades:-reduced the vehicle dry mass by 3% 📉-upgraded the engine to increase thrust by +9% 📈-added ‘run dry’ capability to the propellant pumps, giving us nearly 100% propellant utilisation. ⛽All these upgrades give us plenty of performance margin to get to the upper layers of the stratosphere and fly supersonic.We anticipate our next flight test campaign to be in September, weather permitting.This is incremental development in action!
https://twitter.com/dawnaerospace/status/1826788062661411235Quote🎉 🛫 First Mk-II Aurora contract in the bag! 🛫 🎉 We are excited to announce our partnership with @SCOUTdotspace for a first-of-its-kind tactically responsive VLEO space domain awareness capability! This will be the first of many commercial applications for the Mk-II Aurora. A technology demonstration flight is planned for November of this year from the @Tawhakijv National Aerospace Center. A word from our CEO on the partnership: “Customers like Scout Space see the potential to pair their product with our unique platform to create whole new capabilities and markets. The fact that we have customers wanting to get involved already, even though we are still in the development phase, is indicative of just how game-changing this is. We are very excited to bring these new markets to life with Scout Space” https://spacenews.com/scout-space-dawn-aerospace-partner-for-spaceplane-surveillance-demonstration/
60,000ft in 2min
I notice it flipped inverted and pitched over, was this so it could pull positive g's and control peak of climb?
Exactly. Coming up to apogee a few seconds after MECO, we are Mach 0.6, but <100knots EAS. We invert and pull hard to get around in the thin air to avoid falling flat at high AoA.
A lot of the Lynx Mk1 flights would have had to do similar weird stuff going over the top. Don't remember the exact numbers, but above ~100kft and below ~200kft will be annoying; not enough air for the controls to work, but enough that you really don't want to deep stall it.
Makes sense.Anything above ~120k we will have an RCS system to push the nose over.
A message I sent to all Dawn staff this morning on the back of #Starship's success:Watch this to see a literal skyscraper land itself. Absolutely incredible.youtube.com/live/pIKI7y3DT…Although this is not our win, it should be celebrated as if it is, because we are part of a worldwide effort to become a spacefaring civilization, and we are major winners out of SpaceX's success:How do we win out of this?Dawn builds scalable space transportation. Our most developed product is satellite propulsion. It is scalable both in terms of thrust - ie small thrusters of 1N all the way up to many kN are possible. So you can use it on any satellites, for just about anything (once build bigger engines, make it throttleable and refuellable...that is all coming), even if it is not optimal for any one use case. But also scalable in terms of the quality we can produce. We already make ~250 per year which is genuinely world-leading. There is no reason this couldn't scale to 10,000.Falcon 9 rideshare currently launches >80% of all mass to orbit. A subset of these flights, Falcon 9 "transporter", launch >90% of all non-starlink satellites. The start of the transporter service was the start of Dawn's success in satellite propulsion as it drove many satellite builders to 'take the bus' to space, then use onboard propulsion to get to their own orbit. Starship will supercharge this effect.Hypothesis: Starship will 10-100x the mass being launched, and decrease price a further 2-5x. This could spur the start of the next goldrush as new businesses become viable from space. This would drive satellite builders to:-be more sensitive to time both in procurement and on-orbit - they want to be first to establish their business and be able to operate efficiently once they get there-be less sensitive to mass - satellites will be bigger and less optimized-Require higher thrust systems - for fast manoeuvres and to move bigger satellitesAll of these factors shift the propulsion system tradeoff away from EP, and towards chemical propulsionYou can argue about how big this effect will be, but I don't think anyone can deny that some version of the above hypothesis will happen. It is already in motion.We are already having sales conversations with customers wanting to build satellites that take advantage of Starships massive payload capability. This is not academic/theoretical.As a result, we bias heavily towards scalable because that is what we believe will matter most is future. We will also need to maintain a robust capability to design new propulsion systems to meet new customer needs as new business cases arise.I am super bullish on the future of spaceflight! What an exciting industry to be a part of!!!!!
99 minutes of relaxing lofi beats as Dawn Aerospace's Mk-II Aurora glides over the stunning landscapes of Aoraki Mt Cook National Park. Damn, that's a perfect mix of music and flight to unwind.Don't miss:00:10 - Engine cam (the best cam) ft. mach diamond00:20 - Wisps of mesmerizing exhaust on the climb to 60,000 ft, Mach 0.92 03:42 - Left-wing view holding pattern ft. lake view flex17:45 - Cruising with the curvature of the Earth 47:27 - FPV slicing through clouds like whipped cream on a sky-blue sundae53:39 - Engine cam for full takeoff of 561:35:20 - Off to touchdown, but first a few minutes of golden glow in FPV.Songs:00:00 - Snow in April by Tonion, Xander.
Apr 4, 2025On the morning of the 12th of November 2024, Dawn Aerospace's Mk-II Aurora flew supersonic for the first time, while at an 85 degree climb, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 1.1 and an altitude of 82,500 ft, making it the first civil aircraft to fly supersonic since the Concorde. In this flight, Aurora also set a global record becoming the fastest aircraft to climb from ground level to 20 km altitude, completing the ascent in just 118.6 seconds, 4.2 seconds faster than the previous record set in the 1970s by a highly modified F-15 'Streak Eagle'.What's more, the Aurora flew again just 6 hours later. This milestone sets the stage for Aurora to become the world's highest and fastest-flying aircraft, and paves the way for the first operational hypersonic aircraft, redefining what's possible in aviation.
Dawn Aerospace today announced that its Aurora spaceplane is now available for purchase, with first deliveries expected in 2027. This marks a historic milestone: the first time a space-capable vehicle – designed to fly beyond the Kármán line (100 km - 328,000 ft) - has been offered for direct sale to customers.Aurora is set to become the fastest and highest-flying aircraft ever to take off from a conventional runway, blending the extreme performance of rocket propulsion with the reusability and operational simplicity of traditional aviation. This breakthrough enables high-frequency, low-cost access to both high-altitudes and space.Aurora introduces a business model akin to commercial airlines, where operators can purchase aircraft and deliver services independently of the manufacturer. Dawn’s suborbital spaceplane is engineered for high-frequency operations from traditional airports and spaceports worldwide. Capable of horizontal takeoff and landing, rapid refueling, and multiple flights per day, Aurora offers aircraft-like simplicity, cost-efficiency, and flexibility - enabling local operators to access high-altitudes and space from local runways on demand.“For the first time, customers have the opportunity to own an aircraft capable of reaching the edge of space,” said Stefan Powell, CEO of Dawn Aerospace. “Aurora is a game-changing platform for governments, spaceports, and new spaceplane operators to access extreme altitudes and deliver vital services and programs. It’s been over a century since commercial airlines began—now it’s time to launch the first spaceline.”Aurora enables a new class of missions across defense, signals intelligence, surveillance, hypersonics, maritime patrol, and atmospheric research. It provides microgravity access for the semiconductor and life sciences industries, making it a powerful platform for advancing scientific discovery and national security.
Dawn Aerospace and the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) have signed a binding partnership to bring a Mk-II Aurora spaceplane to Oklahoma. As part of the agreement, Dawn will deliver and operate Aurora at the Oklahoma Air and Space Port. The Aurora is scheduled for delivery in 2027, with flights to space commencing that same year. “Our mission is to push the boundaries of aviation all the way to space, and Oklahoma is a perfect place in the United States to make that happen,” said Stefan Powell, CEO, and founder of Dawn Aerospace. “By developing a rapidly reusable aircraft, we’re bringing the efficiency of aviation to spaceflight—dramatically increasing flight frequency, cutting costs, and accelerating breakthroughs in science and space research that deliver critical insights and services for a better future.”A rocket-powered, remote-piloted aircraft, the Aurora is designed to carry payloads of up to 11 lbs (5 kg) to altitudes of 330,000 feet (100 km). With a rapid turnaround time of just four hours, it would be the first aircraft to reach above the Karman line twice in one day. This cutting-edge capability at the Oklahoma Spaceport builds on OSIDA’s decades-long commitment to aerospace innovation and economic growth since its founding in 1999. With this new era of spaceflight, the spaceport is set to become one of America’s busiest suborbital launch sites, solidifying its role as a hub for microgravity research, atmospheric studies, and satellite technology testing.[...]Under the terms of the agreement, Dawn will supply the aircraft, ground control station and an operations team. Flights on Aurora are expected to cost, on average, low hundreds of thousands of dollars per flight. Campaigns of multiple flights will redefine the landscape of space launch and enable researchers to conduct experiments in rapid succession, accelerating scientific progress while keeping costs low. Oklahoma colleges and universities will have free access to the aircraft for research purposes for the first year of operations.Reaching an altitude of 82,500 ft and achieving Mach 1.12, Aurora set a new benchmark for the fastest ‘time to altitude’ for an aircraft, surpassing a record held by the modified F-15 Streak Eagle set in 1975. The Aurora's development will continue through 2027, with manufacturing and flight testing conducted at Dawn’s R&D facilities in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Premiered 119 minutes agoDawn Aerospace’s Aurora spaceplane and Scout Space’s ‘Morning Sparrow’ payload have completed their first suborbital space domain awareness (SDA) demonstration flight, advancing new approaches to responsive space surveillance in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO).What this test flight achieved:Supersonic flight: Mach 1.03 to 67,000 ftFirst SDA payload on a reusable spaceplaneRunway-based, rapid turnaround operations – faster data access than traditional space assetsEarly step toward cost-effective, high-cadence SDA missionsThis mission is part of developing new, tactically deployable SDA capabilities, enabling faster, more flexible intelligence gathering for space safety and security.
Premiered Sep 10, 2025California Polytechnic State University has become the first U.S. university to fly a student-built research payload on Dawn Aerospace’s Aurora spaceplane. Hear from James Powell, Chief Spaceplane Engineer and Co-Founder of Dawn Aerospace, as he comments on the significance of student hardware flying aboard Aurora.
Record flight: 20km climb in 118s - 4s faster than the F-15 Streak Eagle record set in 1975. Rocket performance in an aircraft platform feels like cheating.
1) Are there any insights whether they want to put a 2nd stage on top to reach full orbital speed "Sänger" style? Will they even need to or can it go SSTO with a payload by itself? 2) Any contacts at TUDelft for enquiries?
The Commission will consider approving an amendment as part of the Department’s acting as agent role for the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) and supporting their infrastructure investment plans for state grant CSM-25C-S for Phase 2 of the pavement rehab at Clinton-Sherman Airport (Burns Flat). The change order was necessary due to additional concrete work on Runway 17R/35L. The estimated additional cost will be $470,000 and will be funded with $470,000 of OSIDA’s PREP funds Action Required[...]The Commission will consider approving staff to enter into a contract for the design of the hangar and associated facilities for the state owned Dawn Aerospace Mark-IIB Aurora spaceplane as part of the Department’s acting as agent role for the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) and supporting their infrastructure investment plans for the Clinton-Sherman Airport. Total project cost will be $490,900 and will be funded with $490,900 of PREP funds from OSIDA. Action Required[...]The Commission considered approving an amendment as part of the Department’s acting as agent role for the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) and supporting their infrastructure investment plans for state grant CSM-25D-S for Phase 3 of the Pavement Rehab of Taxiway A North and the GA apron at ClintonSherman Airport (Burns Flat). The change order was necessary due to an increase in scope which will rehabilitate part of the airfield that was previously a hangar surface. Additionally, part of the asphalt shoulder of a taxiway will become taxilane pavement. The estimated additional cost will be $327,096.10 and will be funded with $327,096.10 of OSIDA’s PREP funds. Motion carried 8-0
Plans for the new facility include a control room with a viewing area and a payload processing facility, according to Nick Young, airports division manager for the state Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics. It would also include office space and a meeting room.The design could take between six and eight months to complete, said executive director Grayson Ardies. Construction could last up to 10 months.Once in operation, Ardies said the plane's first 100 flights will be gifted to researchers from Oklahoma institutions.
Dawn Aerospace could be the first company to turn the NASA concept of a spaceplane into a commercial success. Dawn's reusable, rocket engine-powered aircraft, named Aurora, can fly from any airport at a fraction of the cost of today's rockets.[37:30] MK-11B aircraft aiming to fly "at the end of next year".
Jan 4, 2026A look inside one of our hot-fire test days. This footage captures how we test nitrous-based propulsion—safely, repeatedly, and at both component and system level.Why this is important? Nitrous-based propulsion lets us do what most systems can’t: extensive, repeatable testing on Earth. From individual components to full integrated systems, we validate performance, safety, and reliability long before customer integration.Some propulsion systems never get fired on the ground—too hazardous, too costly, or too complex. Dawn's are designed to be tested, handled, integrated, and even re-tested with customer payloads before launch.Featuring UARX Space’s SatDrive system on the hot-fire stand—flight hardware, tested like engineering should be. Date: 2024
