Spaceplane that flies to space twice a day could launch from Newquay

Take off from a runway in Newquay. Climb to the edge of space at more than three and a half times the speed of sound. Land, refuel, and do it all again before teatime.

That is the idea behind a new agreement signed between Spaceport Cornwall and spaceplane company Dawn Aerospace, which could see a reusable, rocket-powered spaceplane operating from Cornwall Airport Newquay.

The two organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore setting up DASH UK, short for the Dawn Aerospace Suborbital Horizontal UK Launch Programme, at the spaceport.

What is the Aurora spaceplane?

At the centre of the plan is Dawn Aerospace’s Aurora spaceplane. It is designed to reach altitudes of up to 100 km and speeds of more than Mach 3.7.

Unlike a traditional rocket, Aurora takes off and lands on a conventional runway. It is built for quick turnarounds too, in as little as four hours.

Dawn Aerospace calls this its “space twice in a day” model. In practice, that could mean several missions from the same runway in a single day, each carrying payloads of up to 15 kg.

Each flight would offer more than two minutes of microgravity, along with high-speed flight testing and near-space conditions. That is the sort of environment researchers and technology developers would normally have to wait a long time, and pay a lot, to reach.

The company says it has completed 64 test flights so far, and the full-performance Aurora is due to start flying in 2027.

Why Newquay?

Spaceport Cornwall was the UK’s first licensed spaceport, and it sits at Cornwall Airport Newquay, where commercial flights, spaceflight and military operations can all run from one location.

It also has one of the UK’s longest runways, which matters for a vehicle that takes off and lands like an aircraft.

Under the MoU, the two organisations will look at the operational, regulatory and commercial requirements needed to make DASH UK a routine service from Newquay. They will also work together on customer engagement and future operational planning.

Possible uses range from commercial and scientific missions to atmospheric research, technology demonstrations and defence work.

What they said

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. Together with Dawn Aerospace, we aim to establish Cornwall as the UK’s gateway for routine suborbital flight.”

Stefan Powell, CEO at 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.”

A bigger plan for Cornwall’s skies

The agreement is part of a wider push to turn Cornwall into a centre for future air and space testing and development, bringing together space access, aviation, aerospace research and advanced technology.

Both organisations say the partnership fits with the UK Space Strategy, which names access to space as a priority and puts more weight on commercial growth, resilient national capability and working with international partners.

The hope is that giving reusable spaceplanes and other future flight technology somewhere to be tested and flown will draw investment, skills and high-value research and development into the region.

Founded in 2017, Dawn Aerospace has more than 150 staff across the Netherlands, France, Germany, New Zealand and the United States.

For Spaceport Cornwall, the deal is one piece of a broader programme to make Newquay a year-round base for air and space activity, from horizontal launch and suborbital flight to technology testing, research and payload return.