Burns Flat, OK – Oklahoma is aiming for the edge of space with a new research initiative designed to put the state at the forefront of aerospace innovation.

The Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority has announced the Runway-to-Space Spaceplane Challenge, a first-of-its-kind competition in the United States that will take place at the Infinity One Oklahoma Spaceport. The program is being conducted in partnership with Dawn Aerospace and will provide researchers with access to cutting-edge suborbital flight technology.

At the center of the challenge is the Aurora, an uncrewed suborbital spaceplane capable of repeated flights in short timeframes. Unlike traditional suborbital missions that are often single-use and separated by months, Aurora operates more like an aircraft, allowing payloads to be tested, adjusted, and flown again within hours.

The spaceplane is designed to reach speeds exceeding Mach 3.5 and altitudes approaching 100 kilometers, the boundary of space. Each flight can provide up to 127 seconds of microgravity, with the ability to carry payloads weighing up to 15 kilograms, or about 33 pounds.

The program is open to teams led by Oklahoma-based universities or research institutions, with collaboration from out-of-state partners encouraged. Officials say the goal is to accelerate innovation, research, and commercial development within the state’s growing aerospace sector.

Applications for the challenge opened April 16 and will remain open through September 25 at 5 p.m. Central Time. Selected teams will begin flight operations in mid-to-late 2027.

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