POWAY, Calif., 8 Oct. 2008. Engineers at SpaceDev Inc. have completed a third milestone under the Space Act Agreement signed with NASA in June 2007: the Internal Space Vehicle Propulsion Module Preliminary Design Review (PDR). Milestone completion was approved after submission of materials to the NASA COTS office.
SpaceDev Inc. entered into the Space Act Agreement with NASA to facilitate its development of reliable, safe, and affordable transportation of passengers and cargo to and from Earth orbit. As part of the agreement, NASA is providing support regarding ISS visiting vehicle requirements and processes, as well as ongoing quarterly milestone review meetings.
Mark N. Sirangelo, SpaceDev's chairman and CEO, says: "SpaceDev, in passing another significant technical step, continues to enhance the development of the Dream Chaser. It also affirms the real value of NASA's Space Act Agreement program. We are very appreciative of the ongoing support provided by NASA to our program and plan to continue to forward our development schedule."
The SpaceDev Dream Chaser Space Vehicle is a derivative of the HL-20 Launch System developed by NASA Langley. The vehicle has on-board propulsion using SpaceDev's patented and patent-pending hybrid motor technology. This unique space transportation system is designed to effectively, reliably, and safely carry crew/passengers and cargo on orbital flight regimes.
The SpaceDev Dream Chaser Space Vehicle can be adapted to various mission configurations including carrying all passengers; pressurized or unpressurized cargo or, various combinations of crew and pressurized cargo. It is a piloted space solution which launches vertically and lands horizontally on conventional runways.
