In a historic milestone for aviation, the startup Dawn Aerospace announced the success of the first civil supersonic flight since the Concorde.
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On November 12, 2024, the unmanned prototype Mk-II Aurora broke the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.1 during a mission near Mount Cook on the South Island of New Zealand.
During the flight, the aircraft reached an impressive altitude of 25.14 km (82,500 feet) and set a speed record, climbing to 20 km in 118.6 seconds, surpassing by 4.2 seconds the time recorded by a modified F-15 fighter jet in the 1970s.
The Mk-II Aurora is more than just a technological achievement: it is an essential test platform for the development of the next model, the Mk-III Aurora. This future space shuttle will be capable of carrying a disposable stage and launching larger payloads into space, with the goal of delivering up to 250 kg to low Earth orbit.
Among Dawn Aerospace’s ambitions is the creation of an aircraft capable of flying at an altitude of 100 km twice a day, a feat that will transform access to space. Additionally, the company plans to certify the Mk-II Aurora as an aircraft that can operate in non-exclusive airspace, using runways as short as 1,000 meters for takeoff.
The Mk-II Aurora, described as a “rocket performance aircraft,” is a demonstration of the advancement of aerospace technology toward a more accessible and sustainable future for space operations.
Photo and video X @DawnAerospace. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.