A pilot cam captures the moment Dawn Aerospace’s Mk-II Aurora reached its apogee of 82,500 feet (Image: Dawn Aerospace)
A passenger has reportedly achieved supersonic speeds for the first time since Concorde’s retirement, following a successful test flight conducted in New Zealand.
According to the company, Dawn Aerospace, it’s rocket-powered plane will soon be used to launch satellites into orbit and give daily access to space.
The successful flight was announced earlier this week but the test took place on November 12 near Mt Cook in New Zealand’s South Island, reports .
The Mk-11 Aurora, developed by Dawn Aerospace, achieved supersonic speeds, reaching Mach 1.1 and an altitude of 82,500 feet during a test flight. Mach 1.1 means the aircraft traveled 10 percent faster than the speed of sound, a significant milestone in aerospace innovation.
The company stated in statement: “This achievement signifies a major step toward operational hypersonic travel and daily space access, establishing rocket-powered aircraft as a new class of ultra-high-performance vehicles.”
“This achievement highlights the immense potential of rocket-powered aircraft to achieve performance never seen before,” said Stefan Powell, chief executive of Dawn Aerospace.
The plane, called Mk-11 Aurora, surpassed the speed of sound, reaching Mach 1.1 and 82,500 feet, according to Dawn Aerospace.
Mach is a unit of velocity relative to the speed of sound, so Mach 1.1 is 10% faster than the speed of sound.
“This achievement highlights the immense potential of rocket-powered aircraft to achieve performance never seen before,” said Stefan Powell, chief executive of Dawn Aerospace.
The Aurora is designed to reach Mach 3.5 during ascent and re-entry, aiming for twice-daily flights to the edge of space.
Don’t miss…
Since Concorde’s final landing in 2003, supersonic travel has seemed a relic of the past due to its noise and costs.
However, companies like NASA and Lockheed Martin are reviving the concept, with innovations like the X-59 “quiet supersonic aircraft,” which reduces the sonic boom to a “sonic thump.”
If successful, findings will be submitted to regulators by 2030 to usher in a quieter era of supersonic travel.