Revolutionary ‘Dream Chaser’ spaceplane to make daring Nasa mission to ISS and land on runway in ‘first for humanity’
As early as next year, a SPACEPLANE that takes advantage of standard runways could reach space.
The futuristic aircraft, named Dream Chaser, will be used on a NASA mission to replenish supplies at the International Space Station.
The mission is scheduled to occur “no earlier than May 2025” and is formally known as SSC Demo-1.
Dream Chaser is intended to eventually transport crew, but it will begin with resupply trips.
Additionally, the craft’s creator, Sierra Space, claims that it will become “the only commercial runway capable spaceplane” in history.
“The Dream Chaser spaceplane is the first-ever winged commercial spaceplane that will open shared access to space and international collaboration for all humankind,” stated Sierra Space.
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“The fleet of multi-mission spaceplanes is built to carry people and goods to low-Earth orbit (LEO).”
“And can be customized for both domestic and international customers for global operations.”
The US Space Force’s Cape Canaveral launch facility in Florida is where it is scheduled to launch.
Tenacity, also known as DC-100, is the first Dream Chaser spacecraft that will be uncrewed.
“Dream Chaser was selected by NASA to provide cargo delivery, return and disposal service for the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Service 2 (CRS-2) contract,” stated Sierra Space.
“At least seven freight flights to and from the space station will be offered by Tenacity, the first DC-100 spacecraft.
Inside Nasa-backed Dream Chaser spaceplane hoping to beat Elon Musk at his game & change ‘how we connect Earth to space’
“Carrying critical supplies like food, water, and science experiments.”
DC-102, also known as Reverence, is a second cargo variant of the Dream Chaser that is currently being built.
The DC-200, an enhanced version of the spaceplane, will come after this.
Sierra Space clarifies: “This crewed spaceplane will carry crew to and from the space station and other low-Earth orbit destinations.”
What is the ISS?
What you should know about the International Space Station is as follows…
- The International Space Station, often abbreviated to ISS, is a large space craft that orbits Earth and houses astronauts who go up there to complete scientific missions
- Many countries worked together to build it and they work together to use it
- It is made up of many pieces, which astronauts had to send up individually on rockets and put together from 1998 to 2000
- Ever since the year 2000, people have lived on the ISS
- Nasa uses the station to learn about living and working in space
- It is approximately 250 miles above Earth and orbits around the planet just like a satellite
- Living inside the ISS is said to be like living inside a big house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gym, lots of science labs and a big bay window for viewing Earth
Eventually, it should be able to accommodate three to seven crew members.
However, Tenacity, which has at least three contractual cargo resupply missions scheduled for NASA, will be responsible for the majority of the early trips.
But in total, there will be at least seven uncrewed missions.
More than six tonnes of both pressurized and unpressurized material can be transported by it.
“Gentle 1.5G runway landings” are “ideal for fragile cargo” aboard the approximately 30-foot-long ship, according to Sierra Space.
Science experiments may fall under this category; they must be returned securely to avoid compromising the results.
The Vulcan Centaur will launch the spaceplane atop a rocket, and it will return to Earth by landing like an airplane on a runway.
In order to ensure that its astronauts are comfortable with the design, NASA has already begun collaborating with Sierra Space on the aircraft.
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In this manner, students will be aware of how the resupply collection process operates.
The launch “will mark the beginning of a new era for space exploration,” the corporation claimed.
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