NASA’s Tenacity spaceplane will soon deliver 3,500 kg of cargo to the ISS

The spacecraft market is currently booming. According to estimates from Mordor Intelligence, it will reach more than 7.73 billion euros in 2029 and will record growth of 3.95% during the period from 2024 to 2029. If this market is dominated by Boeing and SpaceX, it will be Sierra Space that will have the opportunity to launch the first commercial space plane. The Dream Chaser DC-100, named Tenacity, was recently moved to the Kennedy Space Center for final pre-launch preparations. During its maiden voyage, the aircraft will have the mission of join the International Space Station (ISS).

An uncrewed space plane for transporting cargo

After preparations in the Kennendy Space Center which consist, among other things, of optimizing its thermal protection system, the Tenacity should be launched from the base at Cape Canaveral, Florida. During his trip, he will head to the International Space Station to deliver approximately 3,540 kg of food, water and documents scientists. It will then remain docked with the ISS for 45 days, before returning to Earth to deliver approximately 1,587 kg of cargo, including data from work carried out by the station’s scientists.

For information, this space plane was first designed to be part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and was therefore intended to transport astronauts aboard the ISS. However, the contract was finally awarded to Boeing and SpaceX in 2014. It was only two years after this failure, in 2016, that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration decided to call on Sierra Space and its Dream Chaser to transporting cargo to the International Space Station.

A shuttle capable of landing like a conventional plane

If NASA opted for the Tenacity in the transport of goods, it is partly thanks to its particularity. Indeed, unlike the shuttles developed by Boeing and SpaceX, that of Sierra Space can enter the atmosphere and land on a runway like a conventional airplane at 1.5 G, using its wings. This capability allows it to deliver fragile cargo such as instruments, pharmaceuticals or crystals from the International Space Station. It also allowed it to transition from a space shuttle to a space plane, according to NASA. Apart from its wings, the Tenacity is equipped with three-mode internal thrusters, greatly facilitating its docking with the ISS.

The Shooting Star to increase the capacity of the Tenacity

To allow its space plane to land smoothly, Sierra Space equipped it with wings and had to reduce its payload, as well as its dimensions. In order to’increase the amount of cargo that can be delivered to the ISS, the private company specializing in aerospace technologies has designed a module called Shooting Star. The latter allows the Tenacity to transport 3,500 kg of additional cargo to the International Space Station. However, it will not be able to accompany the plane when it returns to Earth.

Once delivery is completed, it will be disintegrated with 2,590 kg of waste on its way back upon entering the atmosphere. Note that the Tenacity is planned to carry out seven missions, and a production line of Shooting Star modules should be set up by Sierra Space to increase the capacity of the space plane on each trip. More information: nasa.gov. What do you think of this reusable space plane? Do not hesitate to share your opinion, your comments or report an error in the text, click here to post a comment.