Spaceport Cornwall is in talks to host a regular reusable-spaceplane service from Newquay, under an agreement with Dawn Aerospace to explore operating its Aurora vehicle in the UK.
The Dawn Aerospace Suborbital Horizontal UK Launch Programme (DASH UK) would give the UK a rapid, reusable suborbital flight capablity for microgravity research, high-altitude testing and other missions. The initial agreement between the two companies will assess the operational, regulatory and commercial requirements for running DASH UK as a routine service.
Aurora is a reusable, rocket-powered spaceplane designed to reach altitudes of up to 62 miles (100km) and speeds above Mach 3.7. It takes off and lands on a conventional runway and is built for rapid turnaround, in as little as four hours, which Dawn says could let the same vehicle fly to space twice in a day.
The spaceplane can carry payloads of up to 33lb (15kg) and offers more than two minutes of microgravity, along with high-speed flight testing and near-space conditions.
Dawn has flown the Mk-II Aurora more than 60 times and plans to begin flying the full-performance Aurora in 2027. New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority has certified the Mk-II to fly at supersonic speed up to 80,000ft.
Spaceport Cornwall, at Cornwall Airport Newquay, became the UK’s first licensed spaceport in 2022 and hosted the country’s first orbital launch attempt in January 2023, a Virgin Orbit mission that failed to reach orbit.
The spacport has since positioned itself as a horizontal-launch and aerospace-testing site, and was recently shortlisted as a possible test location for the Invictus hypersonic spaceplane program.
Dawn’s runway-based model suits Cornwall’s licensed spaceport infrastructure and one of the UK’s longest runways, where commercial aviation, spaceflight and military operations can be supported from a single site.
Ross Hulbert, head of engagement at Spaceport Cornwall, said, “This represents an exciting opportunity to bring a genuinely transformational aerospace capability to the UK. The Aurora spaceplane offers a more responsive and reusable approach to accessing the upper atmosphere and near-space environment, opening new possibilities for research organisations, technology developers, defence users and commercial customers.”
Stefan Powell, CEO at Dawn Aerospace, said, “Our vision is to make space access as routine as aviation. Partnering with Spaceport Cornwall through is an important step towards bringing that capability to the UK, enabling customers to fly more frequently, iterate faster and accelerate innovation.”
