Sierra Space Completes Construction of First Dream Chaser Spacecraft Model
Sierra Space, an American company, has announced the completion of the first model of their Dream Chaser fleet spacecraft, named Tenacity. The spacecraft is designed to transport cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a significant milestone in commercial space exploration.
Tenacity will undergo environmental testing at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Center in Ohio later this year, according to Sierra Space. The company has revealed that the spacecraft will be launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard the second Vulcan Centaur rocket from United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense. However, no specific date for the inaugural flight has been provided.
Although there is a projected launch date of April 2024, Ars Technica reports the potential for delays due to the untested ULA rocket. The trial is currently scheduled to take place in December of this year.
The Dream Chaser spacecraft is approximately nine meters long with a wingspan of seven meters. Its unique design incorporates foldable wings, akin to those of a fighter plane, enabling it to fit inside the rocket fairing.
The vehicle’s capabilities include performing up to 15 consecutive missions and carrying approximately 5,500 kilograms of both pressurized and non-pressurized cargo to the ISS. This includes essential supplies such as food, water, and scientific experiments.
Sierra Space had initially planned to make the first flight of the Dream Chaser in 2019 after winning a NASA contract for cargo transportation to the space station. However, various setbacks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, caused significant delays, pushing the launch back by nearly five years.
Interestingly, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser concept can be traced back to the Soviet Union’s BOR series of unmanned orbital rocket aircraft. The spacecraft draws inspiration from the Soviet space plane concept, which was initially developed during the construction of the Buran space shuttle. The Soviet Union eventually abandoned the project, but NASA reverse-engineered some of the technology, leading to the development of the HL-20, briefly considered as an alternative to the space shuttle after the Challenger accident.
Sierra Space’s completion of the first Dream Chaser spacecraft model brings us closer to a new era of commercial space exploration and cargo transportation to the ISS. As further developments unfold, the Dream Chaser holds immense promise for the future of space travel.