Dawn Aerospace’s rocket-powered aircraft successfully completed its first supersonic flight as it moves forward with developing aircraft able to launch satellites, the company said in a November 2024 statement.
It said the Mk-II Aurora craft surpassed the speed of sound for the first time on November 12, reaching Mach 1.1 and climbing to an altitude of 25.14 kilometers.
“This is over twice as high as commercial aircraft and marks the first time a civil aircraft has flown supersonic since Concorde,” the company said in the statement. The test flight occurred near Mount Cook in New Zealand’s South Island.
Dawn Aerospace, which is jointly headquartered in the Netherlands and New Zealand, is developing rocket-powered aircraft that could be used to launch satellites.
“This achievement highlights the immense potential of rocket-powered aircraft to achieve performance never seen before,” said Stefan Powell, Dawn Aerospace’s chief executive.
The company said the Mk-II Aurora was also the fastest aircraft ever to climb from ground level to 20 kilometers.
Aurora is designed to fly to the edge of space twice in a single day, will reach speeds of Mach 3.5 during ascent and reentry, and is powered by pure rocket propulsion, the company said.