Frank Taylor at Café Sci2

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is pleased to be presenting an overview of its Dream Chaser Cargo System spacecraft program at the Café Sci. The Dream Chaser is a reusable, lifting-body spacecraft capable of autonomous flight being built here in the Denver area. Dream Chaser is the only lifting-body spacecraft capable of a runway landing anywhere in the world. The Dream Chaser Cargo System is designed to deliver up to 5,500 kg of pressurized and unpressurized cargo to the ISS (International Space Station) with the ability to conduct orbital disposal services and responsively return pressurized cargo at less than 1.5 g’s to a gentle runway landing.

Innovative folding-wing design allows the uncrewed Dream Chaser spacecraft to fit inside existing standard launch vehicle fairings, making it compatible with a suite of current and future launch vehicles. Post-mission, the folding wings also facilitate simple and affordable transportation back to the launch site from a variety of locations since the spacecraft is easily transportable via a multitude of platforms and carriers (ground, sea and air).

SNC’s Dream Chaser spacecraft has been in development for more than 10 years, including six years as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and leverages more than 40 years of X-vehicle and NASA space shuttle heritage.

To date, SNC has received funding from NASA and has made its own significant investments to mature the Dream Chaser vehicle. SNC’s Dream Chaser spacecraft leverages over 40 years of NASA X-vehicle and Space Shuttle heritage.