Radar Tracking Experiment Using Rocket-Powered Aircraft

Описание: 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘 — 𝗗𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗔𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

This mission film captures a custom flight profile and high-speed glide completed by Aurora in early March 2026 just off the coast of Canterbury, New Zealand.

𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘 was a joint 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 involving 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆, the 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲, the 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝘆, and Dawn Aerospace’s suborbital spaceplane, Aurora.

𝗔𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗮, 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁-𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲, 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗮𝘄𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗶 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗠𝗡𝗭𝗦 𝗧𝗲 𝗞𝗮𝗵𝗮, 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀. The goal was to better understand how naval radar platforms perform when tracking a high-speed aerospace vehicle flying 𝗳𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀.

This film highlights the value of 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 underway in New Zealand, at the intersection of industry, science and defence, representing the first operational step in using reusable rocket-powered aircraft architecture for repeatable high-performance trajectories. Future vehicles in the Aurora program are designed to reach speeds above 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝟯.𝟱 and altitudes over 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗸𝗺.

Full article here: https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/DST-trial/

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Note: During the broader period in which this mission took place, HMNZS Te Kaha experienced a minor lubricating-oil leak in Akaroa Harbour. The source was quickly isolated and cleanup actions were undertaken in coordination with the Akaroa Harbourmaster and Environment Canterbury, who confirmed they were satisfied with the level of clean-up.