NZ-Dutch company Dawn Aerospace sells its first spaceplane
From left: Dr. George Nield (Chairman, Global Spaceport Alliance), Jim Bridenstine (Managing Partner of the Artemis Group and Former NASA Administrator), Stefan Powell (CEO, Dawn Aerospace), and Khaki Rodway (Spaceplane Sales & Operations Director, USA, Dawn Aerospace)
Photo:
Supplied/Dawn Aerospace
New Zealand-Dutch company Dawn Aerospace has reached a major milestone by selling its first spaceplane.
The company has signed a US$17 million ($28m NZD) agreement to supply its Mk-II Aurora rocket-powered aircraft to the US state of Oklahoma.
Under the deal, Dawn would provide the vehicle and everything needed to operate it, like ground support equipment, licensing, creating a support team, and parts and servicing.
The aircraft would be based at the Oklahoma Air and Space Port, with delivery scheduled for 2027 and manufacturing to take place in Christchurch.
Dawn chief executive Stefan Powell said it was "huge" for the company and the industry.
"This is really the first time anyone has been able to buy a spacefaring capability," he said. "Normally you can buy a service, someone will take your thing to space or suborbital."
Powell said it marked a significant moment for the global space industry.
"It's really about transitioning the industry away from a single-use service, to more like an airline model, which we believe is far more scalable," Powell said.
The Aurora is a remote-piloted aircraft and can carry small payloads of up to 5kg to altitudes of 100 kilometres (330,000 feet), and has a turnaround time of four hours.
Dawn Mk-II Aurora in flight at 82,500 feet
Photo:
Supplied/Dawn Aerospace
Dawn said it would be the first aircraft to reach the Karman line - the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space - twice in one day.
The company has been in the process of testing and developing the aircraft, which can take off from a runway.
In 2024, the Mk-II Aurora broke the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.12 at 82,500 ft (25,146m), and setting a record for the fastest climb to 20 kilometres (65,600 ft).
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