Oklahoma breaks ground on Dawn Aerospace facility at Infinity One Spaceport. Dawn Aerospace has broken ground on its $7.5 million mission control center and hangar at Infinity One Oklahoma Spaceport in Burns Flat. The project aims to support frequent launches of its reusable Aurora spaceplane starting in 2027. 4 days ago Tuesday, Oct 20 By Sooner State News Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority, Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics, and state leaders joined Dawn Aerospace to break ground on a new mission control facility and spaceplane hangar at Infinity One Oklahoma Spaceport in Burns Flat on Oct. 20. The $7.5 million project is funded through an appropriation by the Oklahoma Legislature and includes a 5,000-square-foot mission control and operations facility along with a 10,000-square-foot hangar for Dawn Aerospace's reusable Aurora spaceplane. Grayson Ardies, CEO of OSIDA and executive director of ODAA, said, "Today represents a turning point for Infinity One Oklahoma Spaceport. For years, we've talked about Oklahoma's potential in commercial spaceflight. Now we're putting that potential into motion. Dawn Aerospace is bringing a fundamentally different approach to reaching space, one that uses a conventional runway rather than a traditional rocket launchpad. That's exactly the kind of innovation we want to attract to Infinity One." Dawn Aerospace plans to begin flying its full-performance Aurora spaceplane from the site in 2027. The company has completed 64 Aurora test flights so far; in 2024 the aircraft broke the sound barrier and set a world speed record of 118.6 seconds to an altitude of 20 kilometers from a runway. The Aurora is designed for rapid reusability with aircraft-like operations - taking off and landing on conventional runways but using rocket propulsion for high altitudes and speeds - enabling more frequent access to suborbital space for scientific research, technology testing, target presentation, and other applications. Customers such as Astral Materials are scheduled for up to 100 flights on Aurora in 2028 from Infinity One Spaceport. Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell said, "Oklahoma has built a reputation as a state where businesses can thrive, and Dawn Aerospace is a great example of what happens when we work together to turn opportunity into investment." State Representative Nick Archer added that having Dawn establish operations in Burns Flat "puts our region on the map in an entirely new way." State Senator Paul Rosino said that these activities connect directly with Oklahoma's aviation strengths: "What's exciting about Dawn Aerospace is that it's taking something we're already good at and applying it to an entirely new frontier." Stefan Powell, CEO and Co-Founder of Dawn Aerospace, said: "Aurora is designed to change the economics of spaceflight by making it possible to fly more frequently... To make that possible, we need more than a runway... This facility is a major step toward bringing that vision into service." The development will include dedicated mission control spaces as well as areas for avionics workspaces, flight simulation offices, conference rooms, operational support areas - and will be completed by fall 2027.

Newquay could host twice-daily space flights under new plan. Spaceport Cornwall and Dawn Aerospace are exploring plans to bring reusable spaceplane operations to Newquay, with ambitions for twice-daily flights to the edge of space. Newquay could become home to routine spaceplane flights under a new partnership between Spaceport Cornwall and Dawn Aerospace. The companies have signed an agreement to investigate operating the reusable Aurora spaceplane from Cornwall Airport Newquay for research, defence and commercial missions. The memorandum of understanding (MoU), announced on 19 October, covers plans to establish the Dawn Aerospace Suborbital Horizontal UK Launch Programme (DASH UK), using the company's Aurora spaceplane. The proposed service would allow research organisations, commercial operators and defence customers to conduct flights to the upper atmosphere and suborbital space from an existing UK airport. Aurora is designed to take off and land on conventional runways, reaching altitudes of up to 100km and speeds exceeding Mach 3.7. Dawn Aerospace is developing the vehicle for rapid reuse, with a target turnaround time of just four hours between flights. The agreement does not establish a timetable for UK operations. Both organisations will first examine the commercial, regulatory and operational requirements for introducing the service at Newquay. Dawn Aerospace targets two space flights in one day. Dawn Aerospace is developing Aurora as a reusable alternative to conventional sounding rockets, which carry scientific instruments and experimental payloads into the upper atmosphere and suborbital space. The vehicle can carry payloads of up to 15kg and provide more than two minutes of microgravity. This would allow researchers to conduct experiments in conditions that cannot be replicated during conventional aircraft operations. Possible applications include atmospheric research, technology demonstrations, high-speed flight testing and defence research. Dawn Aerospace also plans a capability it describes as "space twice in a day", with the same vehicle conducting multiple missions within 24 hours. The company has completed 64 test flights of Aurora so far. Its full-performance spaceplane is expected to begin flying in 2027. The company targets 100km altitude and Mach 3.7, though it has yet to demonstrate these capabilities through routine commercial operations. Dawn Aerospace was founded in 2017 and employs more than 150 people across operations in the Netherlands, France, Germany, New Zealand and the United States. Stefan Powell, CEO of Dawn Aerospace, said: "Our vision is to make space access as routine as aviation." "Partnering with Spaceport Cornwall through this MoU is an important step towards bringing that capability to the UK, enabling customers to fly more frequently, iterate faster and accelerate innovation." Cornwall Airport Newquay could become a base for suborbital testing. The proposed DASH UK programme is part of Spaceport Cornwall's plans to expand aerospace activities at Cornwall Airport Newquay. The airport has one of the UK's longest runways and supports commercial aviation alongside military and specialist aerospace operations. Spaceport Cornwall received its spaceport licence from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in November 2022, becoming the country's first licensed spaceport. The Spaceport's first orbital launch attempt took place in January 2023. Virgin Orbit's modified Boeing 747, Cosmic Girl, departed Newquay carrying a LauncherOne rocket. Unfortunately, the rocket did not reach orbit due to a second-stage burner malfunction. Virgin Orbit later ceased operations. The Aurora programme would use a different launch method. The reusable spaceplane would fly on its own rocket and return to the runway. It would support repeated high-altitude research and technology testing without preparing and launching a conventional expendable rocket for each mission. Ross Hulbert, Head of Engagement at Spaceport Cornwall, said: "This MoU 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." He added: "Together with Dawn Aerospace, we aim to establish Cornwall as the UK's gateway for routine suborbital flight." UK space strategy and regulatory approvals. The partnership supports the UK's plans to develop domestic launch infrastructure, commercial space services and advanced aerospace technologies. The UK National Space Strategy identifies access to space as an important part of developing the country's space economy and strengthening national capabilities. The Cornwall proposal would also bring together commercial aviation, military operations, aerospace research and suborbital flight at a single location. Potential customers could include universities, scientific research institutions, defence organisations and companies developing technologies that require testing at high altitude or in microgravity. However, the existing spaceport licence does not automatically authorise Aurora flights. Any future DASH UK operations would need to meet the relevant CAA requirements, including launch operator licensing, vehicle safety assessments and arrangements for managing airspace during rocket-powered flights. The MoU establishes a framework for Dawn Aerospace and Spaceport Cornwall to investigate those requirements, engage prospective customers and develop plans for future operations. Spaceport Cornwall is also seeking to expand Newquay's role in aerospace research, payload return and testing of emerging flight technologies. The next stage will be a feasibility assessment of the proposed DASH UK service. Dawn Aerospace's full-performance Aurora flight programme, scheduled to begin in 2027, will help determine when the technology could become available for operations from Cornwall. Get all the latest aerospace news here from Advance.