New Zealand-based Dawn Aerospace has officially launched sales of its Aurora spaceplane, an uncrewed suborbital vehicle designed to carry small payloads to the edge of space. Announced during a Global Spaceport Alliance webinar, the company revealed that first deliveries of Aurora are expected in 2027.
Dawn Aerospace's Mark 2 Aurora vehicle during an test flight. Credit: Dawn Aerospace
Aurora is engineered to reach altitudes of up to 100 kilometers while carrying payloads of up to six kilograms. But instead of offering launch services directly, Dawn is taking a commercial aviation-style approach — selling the vehicles to customers who will operate them independently.
“There are many organizations that want access to spaceflight capabilities but simply can’t obtain them,” said Stefan Powell, CEO of Dawn Aerospace. “Our model mirrors the airline industry, where operators, not manufacturers, run the vehicles. That scalability is key to our vision.”
Aurora's development builds on years of testing, including a landmark flight in November 2024 when the Mark 2 version hit supersonic speeds for the first time, reaching Mach 1.12 and an altitude of 25.1 kilometers. The next iteration of the vehicle will be optimized for suborbital missions, with upgraded engines, increased propellant capacity, and enhanced control systems for maneuvering in space.
Powell emphasized Aurora’s unique combination of rocket performance and aircraft-like operation. “This is an aircraft with the performance of a rocket — designed from day one for reliability, reusability, and scalability,” he said.
Suborbital test flights are expected to begin within 18 months and will progress over six to nine months. Each typical flight will involve a vertical ascent, speeds up to Mach 3.5, and approximately three minutes of microgravity at peak altitude. The entire flight will last about 30 minutes, ending with a runway landing.
Powered by a propulsion system using hydrogen peroxide and kerosene-based fuel, the 450-kilogram spaceplane only requires a 1,000-meter runway for takeoff. Dawn claims it can be readied for another flight within six hours — potentially becoming the first vehicle capable of crossing the Kármán Line twice in one day.
Though pricing remains undisclosed, Powell suggested a per-flight cost of around $100,000 is feasible, with premium pricing for more specialized missions. Each Aurora vehicle is projected to complete up to 1,000 flights over its lifetime, generating up to $100 million in revenue per unit.
Dawn has already secured interest from research institutions including Arizona State University, Cal Poly, and Johns Hopkins, as well as commercial space firm Scout Space. Anticipated applications range from microgravity research and semiconductor testing to defense payload evaluations in near-space conditions.
The announcement was met with enthusiasm by the Global Spaceport Alliance. George Nield, chairman of the GSA, highlighted how a reusable, runway-launched spaceplane could revitalize underused spaceports.
“Many spaceports lack the infrastructure for vertical launches,” Nield said. “Aurora changes the game. With a system like this, any spaceport with a runway could offer regular access to space.”
As the global demand for flexible and rapid space access grows, Dawn Aerospace’s Aurora could offer a new path forward — making suborbital spaceflight more accessible and scalable than ever before.
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