Dawn Aerospace’s suborbital spacecraft successfully completes a series of test flights before rocket engine installation.
Mk-II Aurora, the 4.8-meter-long autonomous vehicle being developed by Dawn to transport small payloads to suborbital space, conducted five test flights on New Zealand’s South Island from July 28 to July 30. The Mk-II remained within Earth’s atmosphere during each test flight, reaching a maximum altitude of 1,036 meters, a representative from Dawn stated. The spacecraft operates using a jet propulsion system rather than a rocket engine as per its design.
Dawn’s spacecraft takes off from the runway and tests over the South Island, New Zealand.
According to Stefan Powell, the CEO of the New Zealand-Dutch aerospace company, on August 26, the Mk-II is fully reusable. “We are very excited about the test results, demonstrating a rapid turnaround. We conducted five flights in three days, with two of those flights just 90 minutes apart,” Powell shared.
In a 59-second video shared by the company, the spacecraft takes off from Glentanner Airport on the South Island. The Mk-II glides over several snow-capped mountain ranges and crystal-clear lakes in New Zealand. The vehicle takes off and lands on a runway similar to a conventional aircraft. If everything goes according to plan, the Mk-II will also use traditional airports. Last year, the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority granted permission for the Mk-II to operate from the airport without airspace restrictions.
Currently, Dawn is continuing to test the Mk-II and its accompanying systems. For instance, the rocket engine for the vehicle is nearing the end of its testing phase. Once the engine is ready for operation, it will be installed on the spacecraft, allowing the company to proceed with testing the vehicle at supersonic speeds and greater altitudes. Dawn plans to use the Mk-II for multiple space missions each day. In addition to the Mk-II, the company is also developing another spacecraft model named Mk-III, which is 18 meters long and capable of carrying 250 kilograms of cargo into Earth’s orbit.
