NASASpaceFlight.com
  • Forums
  • L2 Sign Up
  • SLS/Orion
  • SpaceX
  • Commercial
  • ISS
  • International
    • All Chinese European Russian
      European

      Ariane 5 launches Hellas-Sat-4/SaudiGeoSat-1 and GSAT 31

      February 5, 2019

      Featured

      Iran improving its rockets ten years after its…

      February 2, 2019

      Featured

      UK space sector on an upward trajectory after…

      January 31, 2019

      European

      Successful P120C test another milestone towards Arianespace’s new…

      January 29, 2019

      Chinese

      Long March 11 launches with four satellites

      January 21, 2019

      Chinese

      Long March 3B lofts Chinasat-2D

      January 10, 2019

      Chinese

      China lands Chang’e-4 mission on the far side…

      January 3, 2019

      Chinese

      Long March 2D concludes 2018 campaign with Hongyan-1…

      December 29, 2018

      European

      Ariane 5 launches Hellas-Sat-4/SaudiGeoSat-1 and GSAT 31

      February 5, 2019

      European

      Successful P120C test another milestone towards Arianespace’s new…

      January 29, 2019

      European

      Hera adds objectives to planetary defense test mission

      January 7, 2019

      European

      Arianespace Soyuz ST-A launches with CSO-1

      December 19, 2018

      Russian

      Soyuz 2-1A launches Kanopus-V pair and additional payloads

      December 26, 2018

      Russian

      Proton-M successfully launches with Blagovest No.13L

      December 20, 2018

      Russian

      Soyuz MS-09 lands after unprecedented on-orbit repairs, inspections

      December 19, 2018

      Russian

      Arianespace Soyuz ST-A launches with CSO-1

      December 19, 2018

  • Other
    • All Shuttle Uncrewed
      Featured

      Beginning of the end: NASA’s Van Allen probes…

      February 14, 2019

      Commercial

      NG-10 Cygnus departs ISS after 3 month science,…

      February 8, 2019

      Commercial

      Orbex reveals Prime’s second stage as it prepares…

      February 7, 2019

      Featured

      After Kepler, exoplanet discoveries continue to inspire

      February 7, 2019

      Shuttle

      Saving Hubble: Endeavour’s ambitious mission to rescue the…

      December 13, 2018

      Shuttle

      Two NASA space telescopes returning to work following…

      October 23, 2018

      Shuttle

      Thirty years after Return To Flight from Challenger,…

      September 28, 2018

      Shuttle

      Commercial Crew assignments; NASA nears goal of human…

      August 3, 2018

      Uncrewed

      Beginning of the end: NASA’s Van Allen probes…

      February 14, 2019

      Uncrewed

      NG-10 Cygnus departs ISS after 3 month science,…

      February 8, 2019

      Uncrewed

      After Kepler, exoplanet discoveries continue to inspire

      February 7, 2019

      Uncrewed

      As new lunar race heats up, the Moon…

      February 1, 2019

Popular
NASA set to purchase more Soyuz seats to...
Beginning of the end: NASA’s Van Allen probes...
NASA Stennis restarts RS-25 testing after December abort
International partners making progress on ISS funeral plans
Spaceflight notes expanding and evolving offerings as it...
NASA working to minimize shutdown impact to Springtime...
NG-10 Cygnus departs ISS after 3 month science,...
Orbex reveals Prime’s second stage as it prepares...
After Kepler, exoplanet discoveries continue to inspire
As Falcon Heavy celebrates anniversary, SpaceX manifest aligns

NASASpaceFlight.com

  • Forums
  • L2 Sign Up
  • SLS/Orion
  • SpaceX
  • Commercial
  • ISS
  • International
    • All Chinese European Russian
      European

      Ariane 5 launches Hellas-Sat-4/SaudiGeoSat-1 and GSAT 31

      February 5, 2019

      Featured

      Iran improving its rockets ten years after its…

      February 2, 2019

      Featured

      UK space sector on an upward trajectory after…

      January 31, 2019

      European

      Successful P120C test another milestone towards Arianespace’s new…

      January 29, 2019

      Chinese

      Long March 11 launches with four satellites

      January 21, 2019

      Chinese

      Long March 3B lofts Chinasat-2D

      January 10, 2019

      Chinese

      China lands Chang’e-4 mission on the far side…

      January 3, 2019

      Chinese

      Long March 2D concludes 2018 campaign with Hongyan-1…

      December 29, 2018

      European

      Ariane 5 launches Hellas-Sat-4/SaudiGeoSat-1 and GSAT 31

      February 5, 2019

      European

      Successful P120C test another milestone towards Arianespace’s new…

      January 29, 2019

      European

      Hera adds objectives to planetary defense test mission

      January 7, 2019

      European

      Arianespace Soyuz ST-A launches with CSO-1

      December 19, 2018

      Russian

      Soyuz 2-1A launches Kanopus-V pair and additional payloads

      December 26, 2018

      Russian

      Proton-M successfully launches with Blagovest No.13L

      December 20, 2018

      Russian

      Soyuz MS-09 lands after unprecedented on-orbit repairs, inspections

      December 19, 2018

      Russian

      Arianespace Soyuz ST-A launches with CSO-1

      December 19, 2018

  • Other
    • All Shuttle Uncrewed
      Featured

      Beginning of the end: NASA’s Van Allen probes…

      February 14, 2019

      Commercial

      NG-10 Cygnus departs ISS after 3 month science,…

      February 8, 2019

      Commercial

      Orbex reveals Prime’s second stage as it prepares…

      February 7, 2019

      Featured

      After Kepler, exoplanet discoveries continue to inspire

      February 7, 2019

      Shuttle

      Saving Hubble: Endeavour’s ambitious mission to rescue the…

      December 13, 2018

      Shuttle

      Two NASA space telescopes returning to work following…

      October 23, 2018

      Shuttle

      Thirty years after Return To Flight from Challenger,…

      September 28, 2018

      Shuttle

      Commercial Crew assignments; NASA nears goal of human…

      August 3, 2018

      Uncrewed

      Beginning of the end: NASA’s Van Allen probes…

      February 14, 2019

      Uncrewed

      NG-10 Cygnus departs ISS after 3 month science,…

      February 8, 2019

      Uncrewed

      After Kepler, exoplanet discoveries continue to inspire

      February 7, 2019

      Uncrewed

      As new lunar race heats up, the Moon…

      February 1, 2019

NASA provides Dream Chaser with Authority To Proceed for maiden ISS mission

written by John Rumpf and Chris Bergin February 7, 2018

NASA has provided the milestone of “Authority to Proceed” to Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) for the Dream Chaser spacecraft’s first NASA mission to the International Space Station. The launch atop an Atlas V to the orbital outpost has been provided with a window late in 2020. The cargo version of Dream Chaser is working under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Contract 2 (CRS2).

It’s been a long road for Dream Chaser, with her development mainly focused on the crew capable version of the spacecraft.

However, the crewed Dream Chaser was sidelined from NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) when NASA chose SpaceX’s Dragon 2 and Boeing’s Starliner capsules for the transportation of NASA astronauts to the ISS.

See Also

  • Dream Chaser Forum
  • L2 Future Vehicles Section
  • L2 Dream Chaser Special
  • Click here to Join L2

SNC still ensured this version of the vehicle would complete a major milestone in the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCAP) contract, completing a successful approach and landing test 2 (ALT-2) in November.

That test program saw Dream Chaser transported to the Armstrong Flight Research Center in January 2017 to begin further testing and evaluation. This included runway tow tests and captive carry tests, before culminating with the ALT-2 test on November 11. The spacecraft was lifted by a 234-UT heavy lift helicopter and released at a height of 12,324 feet.

Over the next 60 seconds, the vehicle glided 16,217 horizontal feet and reached a maximum speed of 330 miles per hour. At touchdown on the runway, the Dream Chaser was traveling 191 miles per hour and came to a stop within 4,200 feet.

This completely successful test also confirmed critical components needed for missions to and from the ISS. The maneuvers and control inputs made by the integrated computer system confirmed the spacecraft’s stability in dynamic and stressful conditions.

“The test was a huge success and when we looked at the data we were thrilled to see how closely our flight performance projections matched the actual flight data,” said Steve Lindsey, vice president of SNC’s Space Exploration Systems business unit.  “This gives us high confidence in our atmospheric flight performance as we move towards orbital operations.”

Cargo and Crew Dream Chasers – as envisioned by Nathan Koga, NSF L2 renders.

Following the test, the data was provided to NASA’s Commercial Crew Program for review. They confirmed that it fully met or exceeded all of the requirements for the 4B milestone of NASA’s Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCAP) contract and authorized full payment for the milestone.
The data also validated the spacecraft design for a safe and reliable return of cargo from the ISS to the Earth and will be used to complete the final design of the vehicle.

“Achievements of this magnitude require the involvement and collaboration of many people. The Free-Flight test took place at the same historic location where the sound barrier was broken 70 years ago and where the Space Shuttle program began 40 years ago. With that historic legacy, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to our whole flight team,” added Mark Sirangelo, SNC’s Executive Vice President of Space Exploration Systems.

SNC had already begun work on the cargo version of Dream Chaser and were awarded a Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract in 2016, along with SpaceX’s Dragon cargo and Orbital ATK’s Cygnus capsule.

Visiting Vehicles – Starliner, Dragon 2 and Dream Chaser – by Nathan Koga, NSF L2 Render.

In July of 2017, SNC and United Launch Alliance (ULA) jointly announced that the Atlas V would launch the first two cargo versions of the Dream Chaser to the ISS as part of the contract. The first mission is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in 2020 and the second in 2021.

Those dates have been notional until Wednesday when NASA provided the milestone “Authority to Proceed” green light for SNC to complete their processing flow for the first Dream Chaser to launch in the latter part of 2020.

“SNC has been successfully completing critical design milestones as approved by NASA, and having a timetable for the first launch is another important step achieved for us,” said Fatih Ozmen, owner and CEO of SNC.  “The team has worked so hard to get to this point and we can’t wait to fulfill this mission for NASA.”

The Atlas V will fly in the 552 configuration, with a five meter fairing, five solid rocket boosters and Centaur upper stage with dual engines. Following its stay at the ISS, the Dream Chaser will land at Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility.

“The Dream Chaser is going to be a tremendous help to the critical science and research happening on the space station,” added Mr. Sirangelo.

“Receiving NASA’s Authority to Proceed is a big step for the program. We can’t wait to see the vehicle return to Kennedy Space Center to a runway landing, allowing immediate access to the science payloads being returned from the station.”

NASA and the ISS Program is expected to firm up the launch date early in 2020 based on Visiting Vehicle requirements and the status of the CRS2 vehicles.

CRS2Dream ChaserISSSNC
6
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
previous article
SpaceX successfully debuts Falcon Heavy in demonstration launch from KSC
next article
Falcon Heavy success paves the way for open access to space beyond Earth

Related Articles

Orbital’s Antares closing in on debut launch following...

October 1, 2012

SpaceX and Orbital win huge CRS contract from...

December 23, 2008

KSC constructing a “Launch Pad in a Box”...

May 9, 2015

Return to Wallops: New Antares set for late...

December 8, 2014

Iridium NEXT-8 launch date dependent on satellite manufacturing,...

August 31, 2018

SLC-41 completes EES installation ahead of Starliner missions

April 3, 2017

ISS schedule slips Dragon launch to May 19...

May 5, 2012

SLS interest in DoD launch market and Secondary...

February 4, 2012

First powered flight success for SpaceShipTwo

April 29, 2013

TGV Rockets ‘Walking before they can run’

September 7, 2005

Active Discussions

Loading activity..
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NovaTech
Tweets by NASASpaceflight
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • About Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Advertising Info

©2005-2019 - NASASpaceflight.com

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more