The revival of commercial supersonic flight is getting closer to reality as Dawn Aerospace announced that its Mk-II Aurora rocket-powered aircraft successfully broke the sound barrier.
The Mk-II Aurora, measuring 4.8 meters in length, achieved a supersonic speed of 1,358 km/h on November 12, according to New Atlas. Since the retirement of the Concorde, a collaboration between the UK and France, in 2003, commercial supersonic travel has gradually faded into obscurity. In recent years, several startups have been working on various projects to create a new generation of supersonic passenger aircraft that operate quietly, are environmentally friendly, efficient, and more cost-effective.
The Mk-II Aurora operating autonomously during the test flight.
The Mk-II Aurora is an unmanned experimental aircraft with a wingspan of 4 meters and a weight of 200 kg. In the skies above Glentanner Airport near the base of Mount Cook/Aoraki in New Zealand, the Mk-II Aurora reached a speed of Mach 1.1 (1,358 km/h) at an altitude of 25,150 meters.
According to the company, the Mk-II Aurora broke multiple records by becoming the first supersonic aircraft designed and built in New Zealand, achieving the highest altitude ever reached by a vehicle flying from New Zealand, and reaching an altitude of 20 km faster than any previous aircraft. The rocket-powered model accomplished this in 118.6 seconds, beating the improved F-15 from the 1970s by 4.2 seconds. Additionally, the Mk-II Aurora completed a second flight just 6 hours later.
The company’s ultimate goal is to achieve a speed of Mach 3.5 (4,321 km/h) at the edge of space, where the Aurora will be utilized for microgravity research, atmospheric science, Earth observation, and high-speed flight testing.
“This achievement highlights the enormous potential of rocket-powered aircraft to achieve unprecedented performance,” said Stefan Powell, CEO of Dawn Aerospace. “With this latest test flight, we can confirm that the Aurora is the fastest high-flying vehicle ever produced. This milestone will pave the way for the Aurora to become the highest and fastest aircraft in the world, as well as the first operational supersonic aircraft.”
