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“Certification as an aircraft is a crucial step towards our mission, as it allows us to operate without excluding other airspace users,” Powell wrote in the press release. “This enables us to integrate with existing airspace and fly as frequently as the vehicle permits, rather than as often as we can clear the airspace.”

While Mk-II Aurora is a proof of concept for the Mk-III, the spaceplane’s journey into space is still incredibly useful. More specifically, Mk-II will perform Earth monitoring, microgravity research, disaster management, and atmospheric science, which could help make climate and weather models more robust. Powell said in the press release that tests of the Mk-II Aurora will follow a “build-up approach,” as previous testing has, in which the plane will reach “modest” altitudes and speeds to demonstrate that rocket-powered flight is just as viable as commercial aircraft.

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The Mk-II Aurora.
The Mk-II Aurora.
Photo: Dawn Aerospace

The altitude the Aurora will reach in these upcoming tests isn’t necessarily modest, as company plans to reach the internationally recognized boundary of space, better known as the Karman line. As SatNews reported last September, Dawn Aerospace is gearing up for Phase 2 of testing the Aurora, which according to its company’s website, will see the company push Aurora to higher and higher altitudes over a series of tests until it crosses the Karman line, which is about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface.

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