The Dream Chaser spacecraft, with a capacity of 5,215 kg and designed for reusability, has been introduced ahead of its inaugural mission to the International Space Station (ISS) later this year.
On February 1, NASA and Sierra Space from Colorado invited reporters to get a close look at the Dream Chaser, according to Space.
Dream Chaser spacecraft at the Neil Armstrong test facility. (Photo: Josh Dinner/Space.com)
The event took place at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility of NASA in Sandusky. The automated Dream Chaser spacecraft and the cargo module, nicknamed “Tenacity” and “Shooting Star”, were displayed upright as they would be during launch. The duo stands 16.8 meters tall, equivalent to the length of a school bus.
The highly anticipated maiden flight of Tenacity is expected to deliver cargo to the ISS for NASA. This unmanned mission will help advance space science and continue to promote the low Earth orbit economy. However, before the launch flight, Tenacity and Shooting Star must complete a variety of tests in Sandusky. The spacecraft will demonstrate its operational capabilities at NASA’s Mechanical Vibration Facility, allowing the vehicles to be exposed to the harsh environments they will encounter during a mission.
Sierra Space received a multi-year contract from NASA under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS2) program in 2016, providing at least six cargo missions to the ISS. According to NASA, this is part of an effort to increase commercial resupply options in low Earth orbit.
True to its name, Shooting Star will burn up in the atmosphere after completing its singular mission. Tenacity will land and prepare for its next flight. In fact, the spacecraft is designed to fly up to 15 missions. Tenacity will carry over 3,540 kg of cargo on its first flight, despite having the capacity to hold up to 5,215 kg of cargo and experimental samples. Over 3,950 kg of waste can be discarded from the cargo module during re-entry.
Tenacity and Shooting Star are expected to launch in the first half of this year from Launch Complex 41 at the Space Force Station in Florida. After liftoff, the team at Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser Mission Control in Louisville, Colorado, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and Johnson Space Center in Houston will collaborate to monitor the flight, control the spacecraft, and obtain system certification.
