The space plane was tested with a rocket engine

Dawn Aerospace has announced a successful series of test flights of the Mk-II Aurora aircraft, designed for

going into space. The plane, equipped with space engines, took off from a regular airport, rose to an altitude of 1.8 km and successfully landed back.

For three consecutive days from 29 to 31 Marchthe Mk-II Aurora was flying from a commercial airport in New Zealand. The plane, 4.8 m long, rose to a height of 1.8 km and accelerated to a speed of 315 km / h.

Tests of the Mk-II Aurora. Video: Dawn Aerospace

This is not the first test of the Mk-II Aurora:it first took to the skies in August 2021. But in previous tests, the company used a model with a hybrid engine. The key task of the current series of tests: checking the operation of the rocket engine. In the future, the company plans to conduct tests at a higher altitude and speed.

Dawn Aerospace is working on the creationa reusable aircraft that can launch satellites into orbit and return to Earth using only a regular international airport runway. The company's target is to carry out two flights a day.

Tests of the Mk-II Aurora. Photos: Dawn Aerospace

The current model, the Mk-II Aurora, is differentsmall carrying capacity: it can lift up to 5 kg of cargo to a height of 100 km from the Earth's surface. In case of successful completion of this project, the company plans to create an upgraded model with a load capacity of up to 250 kg.

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Cover image: Dawn Aerospace