Dream Chaser team completes program implementation plan review

LOUISVILLE, Colo., 25 Aug. 2012. Sierra Nevada Corp.'s (SNC) Dream Chaser space system has completed its first milestone as part of NASA's commercial crew integrated capability (CCiCap) initiative. SNC presented NASA with a complete program implementation plan review, detailing the design, development, system testing, evaluation, risk reduction activities, and flight testing of all systems planned for the 21-month base and optional agreement period. SNC is preparing to conduct its first approach and landing test, mirroring the flight test of NASA's space shuttle Enterprise. The approach and landing test is scheduled for later this year and will be completed in conjunction with Dream Chaser's NASA Dryden Flight Research Center team at the Edwards Air Force Base. SNC's CCiCap agreement will bring the Dream Chaser Space System one step closer to beginning the transportation of crews to low-Earth orbit.

The Dream Chaser is a crewed suborbital and orbital vertical-takeoff, horizontal landing lifting-body space plane that was developed by SpaceDev, a subsidiary of SNC. The Dream Chaser is designed to carry seven people to and from low earth orbit. The vehicle is designed to be launched vertically on an Atlas V rocket and land horizontally on conventional runways.

The Dream Chaser was publicly announced in September of 2004 as a candidate for the NASA vision for space exploration, and then for the commercial orbital transportation services program. The DCSS is being developed as part of NASA's venture into commercially provided crew transport.

The Dream Chaser completed preliminary design review in June of 2012, and won its current CCiCap contract in August of 2012.