Illustration of Sierra Space’s first Dream Chaser, named DC#1 (Tenacity). Credit: Sierra Space
Dream Chaser Tenacity from Sierra Space, part of NASAthe initiative aimed at strengthening commercial resupply missions of International Space Station, arrived at the Kennedy Space Center for its first mission. After rigorous pre-launch testing, it is planned to deliver 7,800 pounds of cargo using a ULA Vulcan rocket.
As part of NASA’s efforts to increase commercial resupply in low Earth orbit, Sierra Space’s uncrewed spaceplane has arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of its maiden flight to the International Space Station (ISS ).
The Dream Chaser spaceplane, named Tenacity, arrived at Kennedy on May 18 inside a climate-controlled shipping container from NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Center in Sandusky, Ohio, and joined its module cargo ship Shooting Star, arrived May 11.
Testing and preparation before launch
Before arriving at Kennedy, the spaceplane and its cargo module underwent vibration testing atop the world’s largest and most powerful spacecraft vibration system inside the Space Environments Complex of the agency, exposing the battery to vibrations like those it will experience during launch and re-entry into space. The earth’s atmosphere. After the vibration tests, the duo moved to NASA’s Space Propulsion Center and were exposed to low ambient pressures and temperatures ranging from -150 to 300 degrees. Fahrenheit.
Dream Chaser Tenacity, Sierra Space’s uncrewed cargo spaceplane, is processed inside the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Monday, May 20, 2024. L The space plane arrived inside an air-conditioned shipping container from Neil’s agency. Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. Final testing and the pre-launch process will be completed inside the SSPF High Bay before Dream Chaser’s inaugural launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket from the nearby Cape Canaveral space station . Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Final preparations at Kennedy
Upon arrival at Kennedy, teams moved the Dream Chaser Tenacity to the high bay inside the Space Systems Processing Facility, where it will undergo final testing and pre-launch processing before its planned launch later This year.
The spaceplane will take off aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at the Cape Canaveral space station and is expected to deliver 7,800 pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory.
Remaining pre-flight activities at Kennedy include acoustic and electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing, completion of work on the spaceplane’s thermal protection system, and final payload integration.
Dream Chaser Design and Abilities
Dream Chaser is a lifting body space plane that measures 30 feet long by 15 feet wide. The unique winged design allows it to transport cargo to and from low Earth orbit and maintain the ability to land on a runway in the manner of NASA’s Space Shuttle. The 15-foot Shooting Star module can carry up to 7,000 pounds of cargo internally and has three external, non-pressurized payload carriers.
The partially reusable transportation system will fly at least seven cargo missions to the space station as part of the agency’s efforts to expand commercial resupply services into low Earth orbit. Future missions could last up to 75 days and deliver up to 11,500 pounds of cargo.
While the Dream Chaser spacecraft is reusable and can return up to 3,500 pounds of cargo to Earth, the Shooting Star module is designed to be jettisoned and burn up upon re-entry, creating the possibility of disposing of up to 8 500 pounds of waste on each mission.
Dream Chaser Tenacity is the first in a planned fleet of Sierra Space spaceplanes to help carry out these missions.
Certification and on-orbit operations
As part of the vehicle system certification process for the agency’s future resupply missions, NASA and Sierra Space will put the spaceplane through its paces once in orbit. As Dream Chaser Tenacity approaches the space station, it will perform a series of demonstrations to demonstrate attitude control, translation maneuvers and abort capabilities. After completing the maneuverability demonstration, space station astronauts will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to grab the spacecraft and dock it at an Earth-facing port.
After remaining at the orbiting laboratory for approximately 45 days, the spaceplane will be released from the station and return for a landing at the Kennedy Launch and Landing Center. After landing, Dream Chaser is powered down and the Sierra Space team will transfer it back to the processing facility to perform necessary inspections, unload remaining NASA cargo, and begin the process of preparing it for its next assignment.
