Sierra Space Dream Chaser Spaceplane Debuts in 2025 | International Space Station

Sierra Space Dream Chaser Spaceplane Debuts in 2025 | International Space Station

The Neil Armstrong Test Facility, part of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, is home to multiple test facilities, including the Space Environments Complex and the In-Space Propulsion Facility—both were stops for Dream Chaser. The complex is home to the Mechanical Vibration Facility. It subjects test articles to the rigorous conditions of launch.

While at Armstrong, the Dream Chaser winged spacecraft was stacked atop its Shooting Star cargo module on the vibration table to experience vibrations like those during launch and re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere.

Dream Chaser Tenacity, Sierra Space's uncrewed cargo spaceplane is lifted and moved by crane inside the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 20, 2024. Dream Chaser Tenacity will undergo final testing and prelaunch processing inside the high bay of the SSPF ahead of its inaugural launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral. The reusable transportation system is contracted to perform a minimum of seven cargo missions to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s efforts to expand commercial resupply services to low Earth orbit.

Dream Chaser Tenacity, Sierra Space's uncrewed cargo spaceplane is processed inside the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 20, 2024, after arriving by truck inside a climate-controlled transportation container, completing the journey from the agency's Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. Dream Chaser Tenacity will undergo final testing and prelaunch processing inside the high bay of the SSPF ahead of its inaugural launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral. 

The versatile Dream Chaser spaceplane fleet is meticulously designed to facilitate the transportation of cargo and, in the future, crew to low-Earth orbit (LEO). This multi-mission platform offers customization options to cater to the needs of both domestic and international customers, further enhancing its role in global space operations. Under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract, Dream Chaser has been selected to provide essential cargo delivery, return, and disposal services for the International Space Station.

Dream Chaser showcases its mettle by safely withstanding temperatures exceeding 3,000 degrees during re-entry, all while being cool to the touch mere minutes after landing. The incorporation of the most advanced autonomous flight system, ensuring a minimum 15-mission lifespan, marks a monumental leap forward in space transportation.

Learn more about Dream Chaser: https://www.sierraspace.com/space-transportation/dream-chaser-spaceplane/

Image Credit: NASA/GRC/Jordan Salkin
Image Date: Jan 4, 2024
Release Date: December 2024

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