A model of "The Dream Chaser", developed by the Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems, on display at the Kennedy Space Center
The Dream Chaser Cargo System is an American reusable automated cargo lifting-body spaceplane being developed by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Space Systems. The Dream Chaser is designed to resupply the International Space Station with both pressurized and unpressurized cargo. The vehicle would launch vertically on an Atlas V, Ariane 5 or Falcon Heavy rocket and land horizontally autonomously on conventional runways. Further development of the spaceplane includes a manned version Dream Chaser Space System, which is capable to carry up to seven people to and from low Earth orbit. In May 2013, The Dream Chaser Engineering Test Article (ETA) was shipped to the Dryden Flight Research Center in California for a series of ground tests and aerodynamic flight move to Dryden came about a year after a captive carry test that was conducted near the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport on 29 May 2012. During that test, an Erickson Skycrane was used to lift the Dream Chaser to better determine its aerodynamic properties. "The testing at Dryden will include tow, captive-carry and free-flight tests of the Dream Chaser. A truck will tow the vehicle down a runway to validate performance of the nose strut, brakes and tires. The captive-carry flights will further examine the loads the vehicle will encounter during flight and test the performance and flutter of the vehicle up to release from an Erickson Skycrane helicopter. The free-flight tests are designed to validate the Dream Chaser's aerodynamics as well as test the flight control surfaces to verify flight characteristics for approach, flare and landing." A second captive carry flight test was completed on 22 August 2013. The completed craft on the day of its initial captive carry test On 26 October 2013, the first free-flight occurred. The test vehicle was released from the "skycrane" helicopter, and flew the correct flightpath to touchdown less than a minute later.
Size: 5328px × 3482px
Location: The Kennedy Space Centre, Merritt Island, Florida, USA.
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: automated, cargo, chaser, corporation, dream, lifting-body, model, nevada, reusable, sierra, space, spaceplane, system
