Accelerating access to
Scalable, Sustainable
Space Transportation.
Dawn Aerospace is building an aircraft with the performance of a rocket to bring rapid reusability and fleet economics to spaceflight.
A Suborbital Aircraft
Mission: To be the first vehicle to fly above 100km altitude, twice in one day.
By many metrics, the Mk-II will be the highest-performance vehicle ever to take off from a runway. It will fly faster than an SR-71, and climb faster than an F-15, and to higher altitudes than any aircraft before it.
Despite having the performance of a rocket, the Mk-II is designed to operate as an aircraft. It is certified as an aircraft, flies out of any sealed 1000m runway, and is certified to fly in non-exclusive airspace. This allows the Mk-II to be flown multiple times per day, at a low cost.
With high-frequency, high-altitude capability, the Mk-II will become an indispensable platform for microgravity, hypersonics, earth observation and atmospheric science for research, defense, education, and emergency response communities.
Latest flight
27th September 2024, Glentanner Aerodrome, NZ
Purpose: Envelope expansion and demonstration of rapid reusability
Max height - 63,000 ft
Max speed - M0.90
Have a payload?
Come fly with us.
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Technology Development
Test and tune space hardware quickly in the most relevant environment - Space!
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Atmospheric Sampling
Understand the impact of our upper atmosphere on Earth and space weather, as well as long term climate science
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Emergency Response
From “go” command to a 100 km apogee in less than five minutes, the Mk-II is effective in the most time-sensitive situations.
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Earth Observation
Tracking and managing Earth's ecosystems using hyperspectral and IR remote sensing imagers
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Gravity Profiles
Improve understanding of gravitational effects on various materials and systems.
Payload Specifications
There are two payload hatch options, closed and open. This refers to whether the payload has direct access to the external environment.
Closed Payload: Provides a fully enclosed environment for your equipment, ensuring protection from external elements. An RF-transparent cover is available for integrating items like GPS antennas.
Open Payload: Allows direct external access, with customer customization required to fit the provided hatch profile. All open configurations are subject to Dawn Aerospace's approval to ensure safety and compatibility.
Dedicated Payload Bay
5kg mass, 3U Volume
Realtime data downlink
Instrument access to external environment
Optical window
Payload deployment possible
Accessible within 15 minutes of landing
Flight Features
Rapidly reusable vehicle - fly again within 3 hours
Operable from a 1000 m runway
Customizable trajectory
Multiple flights a day
Current location - New Zealand
Future locations - 5000+ viable runways, globally
Payload Mission Types
Earth observation
Low/microgravity experiments
Technology development
In-situ atmospheric measurements
National security
Customized flight profile tests
Research and Education
Disaster response and recovery
