{"id":39659,"date":"2014-01-24T20:57:11","date_gmt":"2014-01-24T12:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/dream-chasers-ksc-vision-enables-2016-debut\/"},"modified":"2014-01-24T20:57:11","modified_gmt":"2014-01-24T12:57:11","slug":"dream-chasers-ksc-vision-enables-2016-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/dream-chasers-ksc-vision-enables-2016-debut\/","title":{"rendered":"Dream Chaser\u2019s KSC vision enables 2016 debut"},"content":{"rendered":"

The highly anticipated confirmation that Dream Chaser will be taking up residency at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) was finally made public this week, albeit with a few welcome surprises. The \u201cbaby orbiter\u201d will be processed in the Operations & Checkout (O&C) building, ahead of a \u201ccommitted\u201d debut launch atop of an Atlas V rocket in late 2016.<\/p>\n

Dream Chaser:<\/p>\n

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) are on an impressive drive towards enabling their Dream Chaser spacecraft to make her first trip into space.<\/p>\n

Currently testing the Dream Chaser systems via the Engineering Test Article (ETA), the SNC team are successfully pushing through their Commercial Crew milestones under contract with NASA.<\/p>\n

\"AWith a test schedule lined up and ready to be initiated by the ETA via her evolving upgrades from a Block 0, to the Block 0.5 and Block 1 vehicle, the next Dream Chaser \u2013 the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) \u2013 is already under construction at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans.<\/p>\n

The OTV will provide Dream Chaser\u2019s next leap forward, with a flight into space, atop of an Atlas V launch vehicle, with SNC confirming they have acquired the rocket, allowing for a target launch date of November, 2016.<\/p>\n

*Click here for additional Dream Chaser Articles*<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are honored that Sierra Nevada Corporation has reserved a proven Atlas V to launch its first flight test in 2016,\u201d noted Michael Gass, United Launch Alliance president and CEO. \u201cWith 42 successful missions spanning a decade of operational service, the commercially-developed Atlas V is uniquely qualified to provide launch services for the Crew Transportation System.<\/p>\n

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\"\"\u201cBecause Atlas is already certified by NASA to fly the nation\u2019s most complex exploration missions, ULA is able to provide a wealth of flight data, design implementation, detailed system and sub-system analysis, qualification and certification documentation to support NASA certification of the Atlas V for human space flight.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a sign of SNC\u2019s commitment to flying Dream Chaser in space, this launch is not understood to be subject to their Commercial Crew funding with NASA, with long lead procurements already lined up.<\/p>\n

As such, the OTV Dream Chaser will debut on a flight of several orbits, prior to a landing on the West Coast. Financial details behind this commitment were not revealed.<\/p>\n

*Click here for coverage of the announcement and additional slides*<\/p>\n

The Path To Flight:<\/p>\n

The continued synergy between the since-retired Shuttle fleet and the future Dream Chaser family is far more than just the similar appearance of the winged\/lifting body spacecraft.<\/p>\n

\"Z3\"With a test program that marries the ETA with Shuttle Enterprise\u2019s Approach Landing Tests (ALTs), along with numerous other associations with the Shuttle orbiters, Dream Chaser will also call the Kennedy Space Center her home.<\/p>\n

It was thought that Dream Chaser would be processed in one of the former buildings used by her illustrious aunties, with three Orbiter Processing Facilities (OFPs) vacated by the famous spacecraft as they completed their Transition and Retirement (T&R) operations, prior to an honorable retirement.<\/p>\n

\"\"KSC made no secret of their wish to see Dream Chaser in an OPF, producing slides via several \u201c21st Century spaceport\u201d presentations (L2) that portrayed an OPF with a fleet of four Dream Chasers in various stages of processing.<\/p>\n

With OPF-3 changing call signs to the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) to become the home of Boeing\u2019s Commercial Crew contender, the CST-100, OPF-1 was soon snapped up by the US Air Force as the new home for their X-37B spacecraft.<\/p>\n

OPF-2\u2019s future could have allowed Dream Chaser to move in next door to her military neighbor, as was confirmed by Stephanie Stilson, NASA Flow Director for Orbiter Transition and Retirement, to NASASpaceFlight.com\u2019s Philip Sloss during the T&R phase.<\/p>\n

\"OPF\u201cThat could happen, sure. It depends on the nature of the different customers that are there. But we could come up with ways to keep them separated, so if we needed to have a secure location in OPF-1 versus OPF-2, we could set that up so that if you are badged to go into OPF-1, you can\u2019t go into OPF-2.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s something we could work, and we have considered that given it\u2019s most likely we\u2019ll have two separate customers for those two bays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interestingly, it has since been confirmed (L2) that OPF-2 was also acquired by the US Air Force, although details as to what they will use it for have not been publicly revealed.<\/p>\n

SNC never openly showed favouritism towards using an OPF for their Dream Chaser fleet, only noting they were evaluating KSC facilities. Their main interest was in a clean floor environment.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cWe\u2019ve been in discussions with the Kennedy Space Center and Space Florida about facilities (at the spaceport),\u201d noted Jim Voss, SNC director of advanced programs and program executive for Dream Chaser to NASASpaceFlight.com in 2012.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn OPF may not be the ideal facility for our vehicle, because they have all the structures that were specific to the shuttle that would have to be removed. We need a large open area, because our vehicle is much more accessible than the Shuttle was, and we don\u2019t need hazardous operations because of our non toxic propellants we have on-board.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we are looking at using a facility at KSC for our processing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Z6\"With the famous O&C building now confirmed as the Dream Chaser\u2019s processing facility, the deal makes a lot of sense, not least due to their arrangements with Lockheed Martin, who themselves moved into the O&C building to conduct processing on the Orion spacecraft.<\/p>\n

As such, Dream Chaser\u2019s new neighbor will be NASA\u2019s new deep space vehicle, utilizing a clean floor space that will allow for horizontal processing and vertical integration with the adaptor that will allow for mating with the Atlas V launch vehicle at Space Launch Complex-41 (SLC-41).<\/p>\n

\"AllThe announcement continues KSC\u2019s transition towards its future role as a multi-user, 21st century spaceport. It is expected the initial expansion will create 200 jobs at the world famous space center.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been diligent in our efforts, and I consider this a strong vote of confidence from a company that expects to be a major force in the future of human spaceflight,\u201d added Bob Cabana, Kennedy Center director.<\/p>\n

\u201cSierra Nevada Corporation will find in our workforce and facilities the same dynamic and professional people that have made successful missions from here for more than 50 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Returning Home to the SLF:<\/p>\n

The famous Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) was always likely to be selected as Dream Chaser\u2019s port of call after completing her mission in space, adding yet more synergy between the Shuttle fleet and the new commercial vehicle.<\/p>\n

Opened for operation in 1976, the 15,000 feet long and 300 feet wide concrete runway was designed for hosting the return of Space Shuttle orbiters during its 30 year program.<\/p>\n

\"SLFIt was Atlantis that marked the final Shuttle landing, when she completed her STS-135 mission by gliding into the SLF for a touchdown in the dark on July 21, 2011.<\/p>\n

Discovery and Endeavour both left KSC via the SLF \u2013 atop of the SCA \u2013 en route to their retirement homes.<\/p>\n

The SLF wasn\u2019t an exclusive strip for Shuttle, with a range of aircraft using the runway \u2013 from Zero G flights, through to the arrival of satellites and hardware for processing ahead of their launches.<\/p>\n

However, the future of the SLF has always targeted future commercial spacecraft, as part of KSC\u2019s multi-user ambitions.<\/p>\n

See Also<\/h4>\n