The Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced the second successful captive-carry test of their Dream Chaser spacecraft last month. The test is one of a series of milestones to be reached as the company works in partnership with NASA to deliver a spacecraft a part of the space agency’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP).
In the early days of the Space Shuttle program, the “test” shuttle Enterprise was carried aloft atop a Boeing 747 and released to glide back to Earth. Much like that program, a test version of the Dream Chaser spacecraft was carried to an altitude of 12,400 feet above a dry lake at Edwards Air Force Base, and then released for a glide to the ground.
While flying a successful profile back to Earth, The Dream Chaser tested guidance, navigation and control systems during the approach and landing phases of the flight, and both the landing gear and nose skid systems operated as desired.
“Today is the first time we have flown a fully functional Dream Chaser flight vehicle, and we are very pleased with the results,” said Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president and head of SNC’s Space Systems. “Our team represents the very best in collaboration between industry and government. We have worked closely with NASA, Dryden and the Air Force to reach this important milestone in our flight test program. We look forward to seeing Dream Chaser land on the same runway as the space shuttle orbiters once did as we move forward in the development of the next-generation crew transportation vehicle.”
Up next for the Dream Chaser spacecraft program will be a series of free-flight tests at Dryden this fall. Ultimately, Dream Chaser will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to transport NASA astronauts to the International Space Station from the U.S.