PREVIEW

A rocket-powered aircraft has broken the sound barrier for the first time since Concorde, following a successful test flight in New Zealand.

Dawn Aerospace’s MK-11 Aurora jet reached supersonic speeds, marking a milestone in the company’s mission to revolutionise daily space access and satellite launches.

"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," the company said in a statement.

The test flight on November 12 saw the uncrewed aircraft reach a speed of Mach 1.1 (844 mph) and climb to an altitude of 82,500 feet (15.6 miles) in 118.6 seconds. Dawn Aerospace highlighted that the performance surpassed a modified F-15’s climb time record set in the 1970s.

Notably, the MK-11 Aurora is the first supersonic aircraft designed and built in New Zealand. It also set records for the highest altitude and fastest climb achieved by the country.

Looking ahead, Dawn Aerospace aims to push the jet to speeds of Mach 3.5 (2,685 mph). To achieve this, it would need to operate at the edge of space, reaching altitudes of 327,360 feet (62 miles).

Upon hitting these targets, the jet is envisioned for applications such as microgravity research, atmospheric science, Earth observation, and high-speed flight testing.

"This achievement highlights the immense potential of rocket-powered aircraft to achieve performance never seen before," said Stefan Powell, CEO of Dawn Aerospace.

"With flight test 57, we retired the final major technical risk in the Aurora program: vehicle dynamics through the transonic regime.

"We have now confirmed the Aurora as the highest climb rate vehicle ever built.

"This milestone sets the stage for Aurora to become the world’s highest and fastest-flying aircraft and paves the way for the first operational hypersonic aircraft, redefining what’s possible in aviation."