Rocket powered UAV certified for speed

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A rocket-powered uncrewed aerial vehicle designed for quick return flights to the edge of space has been certified to fly at unlimited speeds.

The Mk-II will take off horizontally, fly a parabolic trajectory at Mach 3+, and glide back to a horizontal landing at the originating site or downrange
The Mk-II will take off horizontally, fly a parabolic trajectory at Mach 3+, and glide back to a horizontal landing at the originating site or downrange - Dawn Aerospace

Certification from New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) means that Dawn Aerospace, operating out of New Zealand, Netherlands and the US, can fly its Mk-II Aurora up to supersonic at an altitude of up to 80,000 feet.

This certification also permits operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) without the need for restricted airspace.

The Mk-II Aurora has been designed to be the first aircraft to fly to an altitude of 100km twice in a day. According to the company, the aircraft’s rapid reuse and low cost makes it suited for a variety of applications in microgravity, high-speed flight research, earth observation, plus other defence and civil uses.

In a statement, Stefan Powell, CEO at Dawn Aerospace, said: “This unlocks the next major performance milestone for the Mk-II vehicle, namely supersonic flight. To the best of our knowledge, this would be the first privately funded UAV to break the sound barrier.”

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Rocket powered UAV