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
