The vote sets in motion a plan to bring the space company to Oklahoma, an initiative that started at least a year ago. The board members said the state will be among the first to invest in low-orbit technology used for scientific research.
“I dare say this is probably the second biggest date in OSIDA’s history,” said board member Michael Schulz. “The first is when we were granted the launch license, and this is a very close number two.”
The unmanned spacecraft, called the Mk-II Aurora, is suborbital and will not reach a full orbit around Earth. It also launches horizontally, similar to an airplane, instead of vertically. The Oklahoma Spaceport is only licensed for horizontal launches.
“It's going to be used for observation of the weather and climate, which we know in Oklahoma is always a big deal,” said OSIDA board member Deirdre Gurry.
It’s unclear how much the acquisition will cost, though Gurry estimated the state could see a $5 million profit within two years of the start of operations.
“We’ll make a profit off of it, but we're also going to be moving Oklahoma and the United States into the future of this low earth orbit, microgravity science and research,” she said.
The Mk-II Aurora reached two flights to space in one day in 2024, according to the company. Dawn Aerospace, founded in 2017, is based out of New Zealand and the Netherlands. Co-founder Stefan Powell joined the meeting virtually over Zoom.
“We're very excited to be able to come to Oklahoma at a place where we think we can start, actually, new capabilities as well and foster an entirely new space market,” Powell said.
The spacecraft could also be used for national security and defense, the board said.
Khaki Rodway, spaceplane sales and operations director for Dawn Aerospace, told the members the state’s central location will attract clients across the U.S. and globally.
“Nobody does this here in the United States right now,” Rodway said. “Nobody does it anywhere in the world – this kind of research and education and national security.”
According to OSIDA Executive Director Craig Smith, more meetings are planned to finalize details of the agreement. The next regular meeting is set to take place on May 14.
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