On May 31st, Sierra Space, based in Colorado, announced a successful inaugural launch of the Dream Chaser spacecraft. During the test, engineers simulated the activation of Dream Chaser’s systems using electric power generated by solar panels while the spacecraft was in orbit, according to Yahoo.
“This is a significant milestone in Dream Chaser’s long journey,” emphasized Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Space. “With this important achievement, the Dream Chaser spacecraft is ready to redefine commercial space travel, opening up new opportunities for scientific research, technological advancements, and economic growth in space.”
The Dream Chaser spacecraft bears resemblance to a space shuttle. Image: Sierra Space
Dream Chaser is a spacecraft designed to operate in low-Earth orbit, transporting crew and cargo to destinations such as the International Space Station (ISS). The vehicle is designed to carry 5,443 kg of cargo. Since it cannot independently reach space, Dream Chaser requires a large rocket like ULA’s Vulcan Centaur to launch it into low-Earth orbit. However, similar to NASA’s space shuttle, Dream Chaser is capable of reentry and landing on a runway.
Dream Chaser will be more than four times shorter than NASA’s space shuttle, with a total length of over 9 meters. However, the aircraft will include a Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE). This is an expandable habitat that can be inflated to a diameter of 8.2 meters, equivalent to a three-story building. The soft material of LIFE can deflect small asteroids and other space debris.
Sierra Space is aiming to conduct the first flight of Dream Chaser by the end of 2023 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This flight is part of a contract with NASA to deliver cargo to the ISS. The company also plans to launch crewed missions to a separate space station called Orbital Reef in collaboration with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company. They are preparing to transport the Dream Chaser spacecraft named Tenacity to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio for pre-flight testing.