Dawn Aerospace

Dawn Aerospace is a space company headquartered in Christchurch, New Zealand. The company currently manufactures satellite propulsion systems with lower greenhouse potential and nontoxic materials, as well as an uncrewed suborbital spaceplane with rapidly reusable flight characteristics.

Dawn Aerospace
TypePrivate
IndustryAerospace
Founded2017
Founder
  • Stefan Powell, James Powell, Jeroen Wink, Tobias Knop, Robert Werner
HeadquartersChristchurch, New Zealand
Number of locations
3 (August 2022)
Products
  • CubeDrive, SatDrive, Dawn Mk-II Aurora
RevenueNZD $20 million (2022)
Number of employees
130+ (October 2023)
Websitedawnaerospace.com

History

Dawn Aerospace was co-founded in 2016 by Stefan Powell (New Zealand), Jeroen Wink (from the Netherlands), James Powell (New Zealand), Tobias Knop (Germany), and Robert Werner (Germany).

In 2018, Dawn Aerospace raised $3.5m in seed funding from New Zealand, American and Dutch investors. Further investment of an undisclosed figure was made in 2021 by Movac and others.[1]

In 2020, Dawn Aerospace successfully performed atmospheric testing of their Dawn MK II spaceplane,[2] verifying its flight characteristics before future 2023 testing of a larger platform.[3]

Satellite propulsion hardware

Dawn Aerospace currently produces hardware for small satellites, to include thrusters and propellants.[4]

Dawn aerospace has provided the propulsion to Pixxel, an Indian based space organization.[5] They also have signed contracts with the ESA, [6] contracts with Blue Canyon, now part of Raytheon Technologies, to provide its proprietary mix of propellants for microsatelite operations [7][8] and ALE Co., Ltd. Japan and UARX Space. In the last case Dawn provided them with its own proprietary propulsion architecture.[9][10][11] Dawn Aerospace has also signed contracts with Indonesia's national space agency, working to provide the propellant for a new satellite network dedicated to providing early warning of tsunami and earthquake related phenomena.[12][13]

B20 Thruster

Dawn Aerospace's B20 thruster is a 20 newton thruster that uses a chemical propellant made up of nitrous oxide and propylene. The innovation is that it replaces hydrazine, a highly toxic chemical compound often used in satellites. This allows for quicker launches and more safe handling of the rocket while on the ground, increasing launch cadence.[14] In 2021, D-Orbit, a space logicists firm, validated the thrusters on its PULSE space tug mission, firing six B20 thrusters.[15][16]

B1 thruster

Another in-space propulsion rocket motor, the B1 thruster is a 1 newton thruster for satellites. It is manufactured as a single structure using Inconel 718. In 2021 it was flown on the Hiber-Three and Hiber-Four 3U CubeSat, which were respectively launched by Soyuz-2 and Falcon9 on the SpaceX Transporter-1 mission,[17] SpaceX's first dedicated SmallSat Rideshare program mission.[18]

Dawn Mk-II Aurora spaceplane

Dawn Aerospace unveiled [19] the Mk-II Aurora uncrewed suborbital spaceplane in July 2020.[20] With 100 per cent hardware recovery and same-day flight capabilities, the Mk-II Aurora is a reusable vehicle that has demonstrated more than 48 flights, below 9000 ft altitude, using jet engines.[21] In 2021, the Mk-II Aurora flew for the first time during five test flights over the South Island of New Zealand between 28 and 30 July.

On 9 December 2021, Dawn Aerospace announced it had received a license to fly its suborbital spaceplane from a conventional New Zealand Airport, working with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA) and New Zealand Space Agency.[22][23]

Dawn Aerospace has conducted 48 successful tests using jet engines to prove their spaceplane platform,[24] verifying its flight characteristics before future 2023 testing of a larger platform.[25]

In March 2023, the CAA certified the craft for rocket-powered test flights.[26] The first three rocket-powered test flights were conducted between 29 and 31 March 2023 from Glentanner Aerodrome.[27]

Facilities

Dawn Aerospace operates from three global bases: one in the Netherlands, one in New Zealand, and finally one in the United States of America. Dawn Aerospace's headquarters are in Christchurch, New Zealand. They placed it there due to it being a good location for flight testing with less air traffic and stable weather. Dawn Aerospace is registered in New Zealand.[28][29]

References
  1. "Why you would raise $30m when you don't really need it". NBR | The Authority since 1970. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  2. Messier, Doug. "Dawn Aerospace Spaceplane Ready for Rocket Powered Flight After Completing 48 Flights Using Jet Engines". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  3. McDonald, Liz. "Big funding boost propels Dawn Aerospace to new heights". Stuff. Stuff Ltd. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  4. Werner, Debra (27 August 2022). "Grants fuel Dawn Aerospace propulsion development". SpaceNews. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  5. Ref, Space. "Pixxel selects Dawn Aerospace propulsion for hyperspectral imaging constellation". SpaceRef. Multiverse Media Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  6. "Dawn Aerospace receives additional ESA funding for thruster performance extension – SatNews". news.satnews.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  7. "Adams County Partner Dawn Aerospace Wins Contract with Blue Canyon Technologies". coloradoairandspaceport.com. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  8. Ref, Space. "Dawn Aerospace Wins Blue Canyon's X-SAT Saturn Class Propulsion Business". SpaceRef. Multiverse Media Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  9. Urban, Viktoria (3 August 2021). "UARX Space choses Dawn Aerospace to propulse its OSSIE space tug". SpaceWatch.Global. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  10. "UARX Space selects Dawn Aerospace propulsion for its OTV OSSIE Mission". UARX Space. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  11. Ltd, ALE Co. "CEO Lena Okajima participated in the event". ALE Co., Ltd. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  12. "Dawn Aerospace To Empower The Indonesian Space Agency's Tsunami Warning Satellite Constellation – SatNews". news.satnews.com. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  13. Ref, Space (9 August 2021). "Dawn Aerospace to Supply Propulsion for Indonesian Space Agency's Early Tsunami Warning Satellite Constellation". SpaceRef. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  14. "Hydrazine ban could cost Europe's space industry billions". SpaceNews. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  15. "Dawn Aerospace validates B20 Thrusters in space – Bits&Chips". Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  16. "Dawn Aerospace's Smallsat Green Propellant Thruster Proves Itself On-Orbit With D-Orbit's ION Space Tug – SatNews". news.satnews.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  17. "Hiber's Green Propulsion Smallsat, Hiber Four, Launched Via The SpaceX Transporter-1 Mission – SatNews". news.satnews.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  18. Sheetz, Michael. "SpaceX launches a 'rideshare' mission carrying 143 spacecraft, a record for a single launch". CNBC. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  19. "Dawn Aerospace unveils the Mk II Aurora suborbital space plane, which is in theory capable of multiple same-day flights". TechCrunch. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  20. "Dawn Mk-II Aurora Spaceplane, New Zealand". www.aerospace-technology.com. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  21. "Dawn Aerospace Spaceplane Ready for Rocket Powered Flight After Completing 48 Flights Using Jet Engines – Parabolic Arc". Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  22. "Dawn Aerospace wins license for suborbital flights". SpaceNews. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  23. Alamalhodaei, Aria (25 August 2021). "Dawn Aerospace conducts five flights of its suborbital spaceplane". TechCrunch. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  24. Messier, Doug. "Dawn Aerospace Spaceplane Ready for Rocket Powered Flight After Completing 48 Flights Using Jet Engines". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  25. McDonald, Liz. "Big funding boost propels Dawn Aerospace to new heights". Stuff. Stuff Ltd. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  26. "Dawn Aerospace's Mk-II Spaceplane is now certified + ready for rocket-powered flight". SatNews. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  27. Werner, Debra (5 April 2023). "Dawn flies rocket-powered spaceplane". SpaceNews. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  28. "Dawn Aerospace – increasing NZ space flight | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment". www.mbie.govt.nz. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  29. "Aerospace Projects lifting off in Ōtautahi Christchurch". sUAS News – The Business of Drones. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
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