NASA, Sierra Space deliver Dream Chaser spaceplane to Florida for launch preparation

As a part of NASA’s efforts to develop business resupply in low Earth orbit, Sierra House’s uncrewed spaceplane arrived at NASA’s Kennedy House Heart in Florida forward of its first flight to the Worldwide House Station.

The Dream Chaser spaceplane, named Tenacity, arrived at Kennedy on Might 18 inside a climate-controlled transportation container from NASA’s Neil Armstrong Take a look at Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, and joined its companion Capturing Star cargo module, which arrived on Might 11.

Earlier than arriving at Kennedy, the spaceplane and its cargo module underwent vibration testing atop the world’s highest capability and strongest spacecraft shaker system contained in the company’s House Environments Advanced, exposing the stack to vibrations like these it’ll expertise throughout launch and re-entry to the Earth’s ambiance. Following vibration testing, the duo moved to NASA’s In-House Propulsion Facility and was uncovered to low ambient pressures and temperatures starting from -150 to 300 levels Fahrenheit.

Upon arrival at Kennedy, groups moved Dream Chaser Tenacity to the excessive bay contained in the House Programs Processing Facility, the place it’ll endure closing testing and prelaunch processing forward of its launch scheduled for later this yr.

The spaceplane will raise off aboard a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Vulcan rocket from House Launch Advanced-41 at Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station and is about to ship 7,800 kilos of cargo to the orbiting laboratory.

The remaining pre-flight actions at Kennedy embrace acoustic and electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing, completion of labor on the spaceplane’s thermal safety system, and closing payload integration.

Dream Chaser is a lifting physique design spaceplane that measures 30 ft lengthy by 15 ft vast. The distinctive winged design permits it to move cargo to and from low Earth orbit and keep the power to land on a runway within the model of NASA’s space shuttle. The 15-foot Capturing Star module can carry as much as 7,000 kilos of cargo internally and options three unpressurized exterior payload mounts.

The partially reusable transportation system will carry out at the very least seven cargo missions to the space station as a part of the company’s efforts to develop business resupply providers in low Earth orbit. Future missions might final so long as 75 days and ship as a lot as 11,500 kilos of cargo.

Whereas the Dream Chaser spacecraft is reusable and may return as much as 3,500 kilos of cargo to Earth, the Capturing Star module is designed to be jettisoned and deplete throughout reentry, creating the chance to eliminate as much as 8,500 kilos of trash with every mission.

Dream Chaser Tenacity is the primary in a deliberate fleet of Sierra House spaceplanes to assist perform these missions.

As a part of the method to certify the car system for future company resupply missions, NASA and Sierra House will put the spaceplane by its paces as soon as it’s in orbit. As Dream Chaser Tenacity approaches the space station, it’ll conduct a sequence of demonstrations to show attitude control, translational maneuvers, and abort capabilities. After finishing the maneuverability demonstration, space station astronauts will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to grapple the spacecraft and dock it to an Earth-facing port.

After remaining on the orbiting laboratory for about 45 days, the spaceplane can be launched from the station and return for a touchdown at Kennedy’s Launch and Touchdown Facility. After touchdown, Dream Chaser is powered down, and the Sierra House crew will switch it again to the processing facility to carry out mandatory inspections, offload remaining NASA cargo, and start the method of getting ready it for its subsequent mission.