Dawn Aerospace
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industrie | Aerospace |
Gegründet | 2017 |
Gründer |
|
Hauptsitz | Delft, Netherlands and Christchurch, New Zealand. |
Number of locations | 3 (August 2022) |
Produkte |
|
Revenue | NZD $20 million (2022) |
Number of employees | 130+ (October 2023) |
Website | dawnaerospace |
Dawn Aerospace is a space transportation company building both in-space propulsion systems and a space launch vehicle. 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.
History
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]Dawn Aerospace operates from three global bases: one each in the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United States. 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
[edit]- ^ "Why you would raise $30m when you don't really need it". NBR | The Authority since 1970. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Messier, Doug. "Dawn Aerospace Spaceplane Ready for Rocket Powered Flight After Completing 48 Flights Using Jet Engines". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ McDonald, Liz. "Big funding boost propels Dawn Aerospace to new heights". Stuff. Stuff Ltd. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ Werner, Debra (27 August 2022). "Grants fuel Dawn Aerospace propulsion development". SpaceNews. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ Ref, Space. "Pixxel selects Dawn Aerospace propulsion for hyperspectral imaging constellation". SpaceRef. Multiverse Media Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ "Dawn Aerospace receives additional ESA funding for thruster performance extension – SatNews". news.satnews.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ "Adams County Partner Dawn Aerospace Wins Contract with Blue Canyon Technologies". coloradoairandspaceport.com. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Ref, Space. "Dawn Aerospace Wins Blue Canyon's X-SAT Saturn Class Propulsion Business". SpaceRef. Multiverse Media Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ Urban, Viktoria (3 August 2021). "UARX Space choses Dawn Aerospace to propulse its OSSIE space tug". SpaceWatch.Global. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "UARX Space selects Dawn Aerospace propulsion for its OTV OSSIE Mission". UARX Space. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Ltd, ALE Co. "CEO Lena Okajima participated in the event". ALE Co., Ltd. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "Dawn Aerospace To Empower The Indonesian Space Agency's Tsunami Warning Satellite Constellation – SatNews". news.satnews.com. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Hydrazine ban could cost Europe's space industry billions". SpaceNews. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "Dawn Aerospace validates B20 Thrusters in space – Bits&Chips". Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Hiber's Green Propulsion Smallsat, Hiber Four, Launched Via The SpaceX Transporter-1 Mission – SatNews". news.satnews.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ Sheetz, Michael. "SpaceX launches a 'rideshare' mission carrying 143 spacecraft, a record for a single launch". CNBC. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Etherington, Darrell (28 July 2020). "Dawn Aerospace unveils the Mk II Aurora suborbital space plane, which is in theory capable of multiple same-day flights". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "Dawn Mk-II Aurora Spaceplane, New Zealand". www.aerospace-technology.com. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "Dawn Aerospace Spaceplane Ready for Rocket Powered Flight After Completing 48 Flights Using Jet Engines – Parabolic Arc". Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ "Dawn Aerospace wins license for suborbital flights". SpaceNews. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Alamalhodaei, Aria (25 August 2021). "Dawn Aerospace conducts five flights of its suborbital spaceplane". TechCrunch. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ Messier, Doug. "Dawn Aerospace Spaceplane Ready for Rocket Powered Flight After Completing 48 Flights Using Jet Engines". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ McDonald, Liz. "Big funding boost propels Dawn Aerospace to new heights". Stuff. Stuff Ltd. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ "Dawn Aerospace's Mk-II Spaceplane is now certified + ready for rocket-powered flight". SatNews. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ Werner, Debra (5 April 2023). "Dawn flies rocket-powered spaceplane". SpaceNews. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Dawn Aerospace – increasing NZ space flight | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment". www.mbie.govt.nz. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "Aerospace Projects lifting off in Ōtautahi Christchurch". sUAS News – The Business of Drones. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2022.