AURORA SPACEPLANE
SUBORBITAL SPACEPLANE
Aurora is a remotely piloted aircraft (RPAS) that provides routine, affordable access to suborbital space and speeds over Mach 3
By combining the performance of a rocket with the reliability and versatility of an aircraft, Aurora makes high-altitude and high-speed flight a routine, repeatable part of your program. In turn, helping you to test, iterate, and demonstrate faster.
Aurora Vehicle Overview
M 3.7
ach
TOP
SPEED
100 km
MAX ALTITUDE
4 hr
TURNAROUND
TIME
10 kg
MAX PAYLOAD WEIGHT (22 LBS)
MISSION PROFILES
Suborbital
Profile
The Suborbital Profile is a mission profile tailored to reach space. This profile maximizes time in microgravity, as well as pointing time for optical payloads.
Specific values on microgravity and pointing times are detailed in Section 2.2. The key phases of flight are outlined on the Suborbital diagram.
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Max Alt: 100+ km
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Approx. Flight Duration: 30 minutes
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Max. Microgravity Time: 127 seconds
Suborbital
MISSION PROFILES
Boost Glide
Profile
​The Boost-Glide Profile is optimised to reach high Mach numbers within the atmosphere for supersonic and target presentation use-cases. With this profile, the Aurora can reach speeds up to Mach 3.7 and perform a range of maneuvers in the supersonic regime. The key phases of flight are shown above.
From Earth to Space Twice A Day
Aurora engine cam at 67,000 ft
VEHICLE
Suborbital Spaceplane and Rocket-Powered Aircraft Design Overview
The diagram shown summarizes Aurora’s core aircraft fundamentals from propulsion and flight performance through to payload accommodation and control systems.
Aurora integrates a restartable rocket engine, conventional aerodynamic control surfaces, and an independent reaction control system for attitude control above the atmosphere. A composite airframe supports repeated high-G flight, while onboard data acquisition enables full in-flight monitoring of vehicle and payload performance.
Payloads are housed within a dedicated bay designed for modular integration, with defined mass, volume, and power envelopes.
All systems are optimised for repeatability, rapid turnaround, and routine operations, enabling frequent suborbital flights from conventional runways.
Aurora Milestones and World Records
In November 2024, the Aurora spaceplane broke the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.12 at 82,500 feet.
It set a record for the fastest climb to 20 kilometers (65,600 feet), surpassing a record held by the modified F-15 Streak Eagle set in 1975.
2024
1st SUPERSONIC FLIGHT
118.6s
SPEED RECORD TO 20 KM (66,000 ft)
