Dream Chaser, World's First Commercial Spacecraft Ready To Take Off Landas

Dream Chaser, the first commercial spacecraft (photo: dock. siera space)

JAKARTA - After more than a decade of development, the world's first commercial spacecraft, Dream Chaser, from Sierra Space, is finally ready to take off. This horizontally landing aircraft on runways like this traditional aircraft has completed testing.

Dream Chaser will make its first trip to the International Space Station (ISS) in low-Earth orbit later this year. The aircraft is planned to carry more than 7,800 pounds (3,540 kilograms) of cargo. Although this first flight will be an unmanned mission, Dream Chaser will later take astronauts to the space station, similar to SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

Together with SpaceX and Boeing, Sierra Space was one of the companies NASA contracted a decade ago to send people and equipment to the ISS. Dream Chaser has just completed intensive testing at NASA's Neil Armstrong test facility in Sandusky, Ohio, including vibrational and surprise tests as well as exposure to extreme temperatures typical of the space environment.

The aircraft will soon be delivered to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida before its inaugural launch to the ISS. "The completion of this very tight environmental testing in close partnership with NASA is a significant achievement and puts Dream Chaser on track for operations this year. This year we are moving from rigorous research and development to regular orbital operations and thus changing the way we connect space and Earth," said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice.

There is no exact date for this mission yet, although some sources say it could be next month. In 2021, the company will receive $1.4 billion in funding for the Dream Chaser project, following initial funding from NASA of 80 million US dollars (IDR 1.2 trillion).

Dream Chaser is designed to carry people and cargo into low-Earth orbit. After his trip into space, Dream Chaser will break away from the rocket and develop its wings before flying to the ISS and dock to release cargo.

Dream Chaser will remain on the space station for about 45 days before returning to Earth. This spacecraft can land within 11 to 15 hours of departure, although it requires good weather to try to re-enter the atmosphere.

If everything goes according to plan, Dream Chaser will re-enter Earth's atmosphere and glide to land on the runway at the Kennedy's Launch and Landing Facility, Florida, with NASA's retired shuttle style more than a decade ago.

Sierra Space is one of three companies participating in NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which aims to fly the astronaut team to the ISS on behalf of the space agency.