Photo: Sierra Space
You don't need a reusable space plane the size of an airliner to bring humans and cargo to and from Low Earth Orbit. That's why, in spite of its size, the Sierra Space Dream Chaser spaceplane is as worthy of a Space Shuttle successor that ever made it off the drawing board.
In recent photographs taken from Sierra Space's manufacturing facility, we see just how similar the nearly complete Dream Chaser appears compared to the now defunct space shuttle. With plans for launches to the International Space Station already planned for early 2023, there's no time to waste to get everything ready on time.
This first launch of an orbit-worthy Dream Chaser is an unmanned mission. As such, the first unit lacks windows, advanced life control systems, and other items any human-rated space vehicle can't fly without. Rest assured. It'll all be sorted out when human crews are ready to fly aboard this novel pint-sized space plane.
Even as we speak, two further orbit-rated Dream Chaser spaceplanes are already under assembly. Ready to initiate a fleet rotation that should see regular spaceplane visits to the ISS sometime in the very near future. At a time when the Russians seem destined to leave the ISS and set off on their own space station initiative, NASA and the ESA will need all the hardware they can get their hands on.
The maiden spaceflight of the first human-rated American spaceplane since the Space Shuttle is set to take place sometime in February 2023. Before long, a fleet of ships far larger than the six orbiters of the old Shuttle program could be built to serve a number of different roles in Low Earth Orbit that arent necessarily ISS-related. Seeing the true limits of the Dream Chaser's abilities is bound to be one exciting experience. Best of luck to the Sierra Space team.
This first launch of an orbit-worthy Dream Chaser is an unmanned mission. As such, the first unit lacks windows, advanced life control systems, and other items any human-rated space vehicle can't fly without. Rest assured. It'll all be sorted out when human crews are ready to fly aboard this novel pint-sized space plane.
Even as we speak, two further orbit-rated Dream Chaser spaceplanes are already under assembly. Ready to initiate a fleet rotation that should see regular spaceplane visits to the ISS sometime in the very near future. At a time when the Russians seem destined to leave the ISS and set off on their own space station initiative, NASA and the ESA will need all the hardware they can get their hands on.
The maiden spaceflight of the first human-rated American spaceplane since the Space Shuttle is set to take place sometime in February 2023. Before long, a fleet of ships far larger than the six orbiters of the old Shuttle program could be built to serve a number of different roles in Low Earth Orbit that arent necessarily ISS-related. Seeing the true limits of the Dream Chaser's abilities is bound to be one exciting experience. Best of luck to the Sierra Space team.
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