{"id":24159,"date":"2023-11-13T21:07:54","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T13:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/first-dream-chaser-vehicle-ready-for-final-testing\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T13:49:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T05:49:14","slug":"first-dream-chaser-vehicle-ready-for-final-testing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/first-dream-chaser-vehicle-ready-for-final-testing\/","title":{"rendered":"First Dream Chaser Vehicle Ready for Final Testing"},"content":{"rendered":"

After years of work, Sierra Space\u2019s first Dream Chaser reusable spaceplane is almost ready to fly. The vehicle\u2019s next step is a trip to NASA\u2019s Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio ahead of its first launch at the Kennedy Space Center currently scheduled for no earlier than March 2024.<\/p>\n

NSF was invited as part of a media event inside the company\u2019s facility in Louisville, Colorado, to see the first flight article named Tenacity <\/em>prior to departing for environmental testing.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Dream Chaser is a reusable spaceplane that contains an expendable cargo module. That module also houses the vehicle\u2019s solar panels. It was selected as part of the Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract by NASA, joining SpaceX and Northrop Grumman to bring supplies to, and in this instance from, the International Space Station (ISS).<\/p>\n

The plane is then designed to land on a runway. In particular, ISS missions will land at the Launch and Landing Facility, formerly the Shuttle Landing Facility, located at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and currently operated by Space Florida.<\/p>\n

Re-Flying Dream Chaser<\/p>\n

Sierra Space\u2019s CEO Tom Vice said the company expects to be able to turn Tenacity<\/em> around in six months following its landing, seeing it fly again aboard United Launch Alliance\u2019s new Vulcan rocket.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A model of Dream Chaser inside the Vulcan fairing. (Credit: Lee Jay Fingersh for NSF)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d like to turn the vehicle and be prepared to fly potentially twice next year, but again, that\u2019s really dependent upon NASA,\u201d Vice said. \u201cNASA has a manifest, when they can take the cargo, when they need cargo.\u201d<\/p>\n

See Also<\/h4>\n
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    Sierra Space is currently contracted for seven missions under the CRS-2 contract and is in discussions for potentially more flights.<\/p>\n

    However, Vice says one of the benefits to Dream Chaser is that it can be used as its own orbiting science platform as well, and can spend six months in orbit undocked from the ISS.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe fly [Dream Chaser] as a service,\u201d Vice said. \u201cSo we could fly them for other government agencies\u2026 Whether it\u2019s flying it for a commercial customer that wants to do early drug clinical trials on a free-flying mission, or it\u2019s another part of the US government that would like to have a mission for other purposes, it\u2019s set up to be able to do those.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Production Delays<\/p>\n

    Dream Chaser\u2019s first ISS mission was originally planned for 2021; however, the company has faced many delays, including issues with the supply chain during the COVID-19 global pandemic.<\/p>\n

    As a result, Vice said Sierra Space has tried to counter those challenges by building as many components on-site as possible.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    A close-up view of the white and black thermal tiles on Dream Chaser\u2019s first flight vehicle. (Credit: Trevor Sesnic for NSF)<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhere we saw a critical need was, obviously, we built all of our own thrusters,\u201d Vice said. \u201cWe\u2019re now doing all of our own thermal protection systems. We built 90 percent of all of our own harnesses. So we really have thought about where were their bottlenecks, and we\u2019ve eliminated those bottlenecks by bringing them to work in-house. And what we found almost immediately is we can move faster, higher quality products, much cheaper, and we don\u2019t have that risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The company has even built its own solar panels on-site to help provide electricity to its buildings.<\/p>\n

    An additional concern has been delays in working with NASA and other partners involved with the ISS. There are strict requirements that must be met by any vehicle visiting the orbiting laboratory, including making sure the software onboard Dream Chaser can communicate with the software used on the ISS.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s a big deal to approach the ISS, and so we\u2019ve taken that very seriously for a long period of time, and we do a lot of joint activity with NASA just to make sure we don\u2019t have that problem,\u201d Vice said.<\/p>\n

    The company is also still waiting for a license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to perform a commercial reentry. The FAA released the first proposed project information in 2021 for that license.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Dream Chaser\u2019s flight test article eases onto the Runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California during an approach and landing test. (Credit: Sierra Space)<\/p>\n

    Vice said they are working closely with the FAA and are continuing to exchange information and have continued discussions. However, he\u2019s aware there are a lot of launches and claims there are not enough resources.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe FAA is really busy, and I think one of the things I always advocate is the FAA needs more resources, and we spent time in Congress trying to get the FAA more resources because they could really use it,\u201d Vice said. \u201cSpace is growing fast. As you can imagine, SpaceX is waiting, Blue Origin is waiting, lots of rocket companies are waiting, and of course, we\u2019re waiting\u2026 so they could use additional resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Advancements<\/p>\n

    Prior to its upcoming testing in Ohio, the vehicle went through some of its own testing in Colorado. That included the first deployment of the wings.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    A view from behind Tenacity at Dream Chaser\u2019s folded wings. (Credit: Trevor Sesnic for NSF)<\/p>\n

    Dream Chaser\u2019s wings fold to allow the current cargo variant to fit within Vulcan\u2019s 5.4-meter fairing. The wings are unfolded in space and are used for control authority upon returning to Earth\u2019s atmosphere. However, once in the atmosphere, the primary source of lift is the body of the spacecraft and not the wings.<\/p>\n

    Similar to the space shuttle\u2019s payload bay doors, special equipment is needed to test these systems while on the ground.<\/p>\n

    \u201cYou have to be very careful in a one G environment because they are meant to deploy it in 0 G. A lot of mechanisms are on top of it to make sure you deploy it without breaking anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Vice also noted the increased interest in hypersonic vehicles, and said, \u201cWings are back!\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cYou know, we\u2019re going to be flying Mach 25 on Dream Chaser every time we enter the atmosphere, and we\u2019re going to collect probably the most amount of data on hypersonic vehicles,\u201d Vice said, noting that this is in addition to creating a vehicle that is also stable aerodynamically during supersonic, transonic, and subsonic phases of flight.<\/p>\n

    Another development that has been years in the making is the on-orbit propellants the vehicle will use. Many spacecraft use hypergolic propellants, such as hydrazine,  which ignites when coming in contact with an oxidizer, removing the need for a spark or additional igniter.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    A close look at the thermal protection tiles and RP-1\/Hydrogen Peroxide thrusters near Tenacity\u2019s nose. (Credit: Trevor Sesnic for NSF)<\/p>\n

    While used for many years, they are toxic to humans. Sierra Space is using a mixture of Rocket Propellant 1 (RP-1), which is a refined form of kerosene, along with hydrogen peroxide, for maneuvering the vehicle.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe wanted to have a fuel system that was green, instead of using hypergolic, so that we could land it at a runway and walk up to the vehicle without being in hazmat suits,\u201d Vice said.<\/p>\n

    He did note that designing the system contributed to some of the company\u2019s delays.<\/p>\n

    While Tenacity<\/em> and the currently-under-construction second vehicle are designed solely for cargo missions, future missions are planned that can carry three to six people into orbit and back. That\u2019s part of why Vice said safer fuels are so important.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThink about it, we could land Dream Chaser at the Paris Air Show. A few minutes later, it cools down, six people get out and walk into a chalet, they\u2019re not wearing hazmat suits,\u201d Vice said. \u201cThen it\u2019s just waiting for [the vehicle\u2019s heat shield tiles] to cool off and it doesn\u2019t take long.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Vice said a crew variant isn\u2019t expected until 2026. The crewed version will feature an abort system with a different fuel system, but no details on this system were offered.<\/p>\n

    Future Designs<\/p>\n

    While at Sierra Space, NSF saw what will be the company\u2019s second spaceplane.<\/p>\n

    Vice said a lot has been learned from building Tenacity<\/em>. These lessons have reduced the number of issues on build two by 80%, resulting in quicker assembly and lower cost. Vice estimated that Tail 2 is roughly 24 months behind Tenacity<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Tail 2\u2019s composite frame. (Credit: Trevor Sesnic for NSF)<\/p>\n

    A look at the shell of what will be Sierra Space\u2019s second, yet-to-be-named Dream Chaser vehicle. (Credit: Trevor Sesnic for NSF)\u201dThings that used to take weeks and months and years to build, we now build in a fraction of the time,\u201d Vice said. \u201cWe do the work that we\u2019re doing on next-generation thermal protection systems here, material systems is done here, so there\u2019s a lot done here.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The design of the cargo variant also features a cargo module placed behind the vehicle, which currently is not reusable and is designed to burn up on reentry. The company aims to launch 30 missions using its first two flight vehicles, each of which requires a brand-new module.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    A view of a cargo module loading mockup inside Sierra Space\u2019s Denver facility. (Credit: Trevor Sesnic for NSF)<\/p>\n

    Sierra Space is now working on a product known as Ghost<\/em>. The system would act as an inflatable ablative shield that would protect the cargo module before parachuting down to a designated location to be recovered. Economically, Vice said it would be a game changer to be able to reuse the cargo module and vehicles 15 times each.<\/p>\n

    \u201cEven on [SpaceX\u2019s] Dragon, you know, the trunk of Dragon gets burned up every time,\u201d Vice said. \u201cWe took one step back and said, you know, can we reuse the entire system? And again, that would change everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The company plans to start with small-scale tests before scaling up to the larger size needed for the cargo module.<\/p>\n

    Next Steps<\/p>\n

    While an exact date has not been publicly released, Tenacity<\/em> will soon make the journey from Louisville, Colorado to the former Plum Brook facility, now the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility, in Sandusky, Ohio.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    A view inside Tenacity prior to environmental testing. (Credit: Trevor Sesnic for NSF)<\/p>\n

    Once there it will be placed inside the facility\u2019s large thermal vacuum chamber for environmental testing. Once completed, the vehicle is then expected to move to the Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations.<\/p>\n

    While no launch date has officially been set, Sierra Space expects to launch no earlier than March 2024, using ULA\u2019s second-ever Vulcan Centaur launcher.<\/p>\n

    (Lead image: Tenacity, the first Dream Chaser vehicle, prior to shipping out for testing in Ohio. Credit: Trevor Sesnic for NSF)
    \n\"\"
    \n<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    After years of work, Sierra Space\u2019s first Dream Chaser reusable spaceplane is almost ready to fly. The vehicle\u2019s next step is a trip to NASA\u2019s Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio ahead of its first launch at the Kennedy Space Center currently scheduled for no earlier than March 2024. NSF was invited as part […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1872,970,233,2397,971,1385],"class_list":["post-24159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-crs-2","tag-dream-chaser","tag-iss","tag-sierra-nevada","tag-sierra-space","tag-tenacity"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24159"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24159"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35826,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24159\/revisions\/35826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}