• Dawn Aerospace's Mk-11 Aurora has completed its first supersonic flight, reaching Mach 1.1 and an altitude of 82,500 feet.
• The Aurora is designed to fly to the edge of space twice in a day, reach speeds of Mach 3.5 during ascent and re-entry, and is powered by pure rocket propulsion.
• The company has received the first certificate by the CAA for high-altitude beyond-line-of-sight operations of a remotely piloted vehicle.
• The next phase for the Mk-IIA is to test high-altitude operations and BVLOS flights, with the goal of flying to space twice in a day.

In a significant leap for aerospace technology, Dawn Aerospace's rocket-powered aircraft, the Mk-11 Aurora, has successfully completed its first supersonic flight. This milestone was achieved on November 12, when the craft surpassed the speed of sound, reaching Mach 1.1 and climbing to an altitude of 82,500 feet (25.14 kilometers). This achievement is over twice as high as commercial aircraft and marks the first time a civil aircraft has flown supersonic since the Concorde.

The test flight took place near Mt Cook in New Zealand's South Island. Dawn Aerospace, which is jointly headquartered in the Netherlands and New Zealand, is at the forefront of developing rocket-powered aircraft that could potentially be used to launch satellites. Over the past few months, the company has been rigorously testing its latest model.

Stefan Powell, the chief executive of Dawn Aerospace, expressed his excitement over this achievement, stating, This achievement highlights the immense potential of rocket-powered aircraft to achieve performance never seen before.

Aurora: The Fastest Aircraft to Climb from Ground Level to 20 km

The company also revealed that the MK-11 Aurora was the fastest aircraft ever to climb from ground level to 20 km. The Aurora is designed to fly to the edge of space twice in a single day, reach speeds of Mach 3.5 during ascent and re-entry, and is powered by pure rocket propulsion. This ambitious design is a testament to the company's commitment to pushing the boundaries of aerospace technology.

The company's largest single shareholder is Auckland-based Icehouse Ventures, which holds a 28% stake. Other local backers include Movac and Global from Day One (GD1). The company's progress has been closely followed by the international community, including the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre and the New Zealand Space Agency.

James Powell, another key figure in the company, has previously explained the company's unique approach to aerospace technology. He stated, "Launching from the air is not efficient. Our goal is to achieve rocket effectiveness using an airplane approach."

Dawn Aerospace: Pioneering the Future of Aerospace Technology

The company has also received the first certificate by the CAA for high-altitude beyond-line-of-sight operations of a remotely piloted vehicle. This is coupled with a high-altitude license from the New Zealand Space Agency for operations above 60,000 feet, the limit of controlled airspace.

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 optimized 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. This development is reminiscent of the Concorde, the only supersonic passenger airliner to have been in commercial use. The Concorde, which was in operation from 1976 to 2003, was capable of speeds over twice the speed of sound.