Dream Chaser test takes it one step closer to spaceflight

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Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Dream Chaser spacecraft has undergone a ‘captive carry’ test, taking the reusable vehicle a step closer to orbital flight.

" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Designed primarily to ferry cargo to and from the International Space Station (ISS), Dream Chaser will be capable of launch on Atlas V and Ariane 5 rockets. The spacecraft, which resembles a miniature space shuttle, can then travel autonomously under its own power once in orbit, docking with the ISS. After re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, Dream Chaser glides to the ground to make a conventional runway landing. According to SNC, each vehicle could be reused more than 15 times.

The latest step in the test programme saw the Dream Chaser carried to flight test altitude by a Chinook helicopter. It remained attached to the chopper throughout, but the flight allowed the SNC ground team to send commands to Dream Chaser, monitor performance and collect critical data ahead of the craft’s first free flight test.

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