7.04.2023
Dawn Aerospace conducted the first rocket-powered flights of the Mk-II spaceplane at New Zealand’s Gentanner Aerodrome. Credit: Dawn Aerospace
SAN FRANCISCO — 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.”
Funding spaceplane work
Dawn, a space transportation company based in New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United States, is funding spaceplane development with revenue from sales of small satellite propulsion systems, government grants and investment. Dawn raised $20 millionlate last year.
Prior to testing the recent testing campaign, Dawn flew Mk-II Aurora with jet engines. The company announced certification March 24 from the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority to begin rocket-powered flights.
Dawn’s goal is to operate the Mk-II Aurora like an airplane with multiple daily flights taking off and landing on runways.
“To have demonstrated rapid reusability in the first tests is proof of our core philosophy, and confirmation that rocket-powered vehicles can be operated just like commercial jet aircraft,” Powell said in a statement. “This fact allows us to rapidly test now, but in the future, it will completely revolutionize the economics of space access.”
Iterative test campaign
Rather than striving for speed or altitude on early flights, Dawn is taking an iterative approach to flight testing. 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.
“We should get the limits of the Mk-II sometimes this year,” Powell said. “Then we’ll move on to the next version of this aircraft.”
The next version, Mk-III, is a two-stage spaceplane with an expendable second stage.
“The Mk-II demonstrates the technology,” Powell said. “We’ll size the payload of the Mk-III to make sense for the market.”
Rocket-powered spaceplane takes flight
Dawn Aerospace, a space transportation company with operations in New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United States, today announced the successful completion of the first rocket-powered flight campaign of its spaceplane, the Mk-II Aurora. The flights occurred at Glentanner Aerodrome on the 29, 30, and 31 March.
Dawn is already the fastest-growing supplier of green in-space propulsion, with over 15 customers in Europe, Asia, and the USA and hardware on 11 operational satellites. The accomplishment announced today signifies a major milestone in the company’s mission to revolutionize space access as well, and thus provide end-to-end space transportation.
The Mk-II Aurora had previously been tested using surrogate jet engines, while last week’s campaign was the first conducted under rocket power. All test objectives were achieved.
The Mk-II Aurora is designed for aircraft-like operations and is capable of flying multiple times a day. Unlike traditional rockets, Dawn vehicles take off and land horizontally on a runway and do not require a dedicated launch pad.
Dawn CEO, Stefan Powell, said, "To have demonstrated rapid reusability in the first tests is proof of our core philosophy, and confirmation that rocket-powered vehicles can be operated just like commercial jet aircraft. This fact allows us to rapidly test now, but in the future, it will completely revolutionize the economics of space access."
“These flights were a monumental achievement for Dawn Aerospace, and the result of years of hard work from the team. After conducting three tests in three days, we believe Mk-II is the most rapidly reusable rocket-powered aircraft in operation," he said.
The flights aimed to validate key systems and capabilities, such as the rocket engine, rather than striving for maximum speed or altitude. Future tests will gradually increase speed and altitude in a 'build-up' approach. During commercial operations, the Mk-II Aurora will fly to 100 km altitude and aims to become the first vehicle capable of such flights twice in a day, laying the foundation for a fully and rapidly reusable first-stage booster.
Initial flights reached altitudes and speeds similar to those demonstrated in previous test flights under jet power, approximately 6,000 feet and 170 knots.
Upon the successful completion of the Mk-II Aurora program, Dawn Aerospace plans to develop the Mk-III, a two-stage orbital vehicle capable of carrying over 1 ton on a suborbital flight or delivering a 250 kg satellite to LEO with an expendable second stage.
“The vast majority of our industry’s carbon footprint is created in the manufacturing of rockets, not the fuel efficiency. Our orbital vehicle, Mk-III, is designed to be 96% reusable. This is key to delivering on our vision of a sustainable and future-proof space industry,” said Powell.
