It is very common to wait for years for a space craft to conduct its first flight ever, and one of the most eagerly anticipated spacecraft is the Dream Chaser. There are so many things that make this spacecraft different from others, and it's going to be a game changer once it becomes operational. Now, after years of preparation, Sierra Space is saying they are ready to launch, and we are going to cover this in detail in this video.
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Have you ever wondered how these types of space projects get off the ground? Let's break it down. Space companies come up with innovative ideas for spacecraft, and then they pitch these ideas to NASA. If NASA sees potential in the project, they invest in it to help bring the concept to life.
For example, NASA has invested in several notable projects over the years. They backed SpaceX's Dragon capsule with around $396 million to develop a spacecraft for cargo and crew transport. Blue Origin received about $500 million to develop their New Shepard and New Glenn rockets. Boeing's Starliner, another spacecraft designed to carry astronauts, was supported with approximately $4.2 billion.
But why does NASA do this? By investing in multiple companies, NASA ensures that there are several viable options for getting cargo and crew to the International Space Station and beyond. This not only drives technological advancements but also helps to keep costs down.
In the past, NASA used to handle all of these missions themselves. They developed and operated the Space Shuttle program, which was a fleet of reusable spaceplanes that carried astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station. The Space Shuttle program was incredibly successful but also very expensive and complex to maintain. After the Space Shuttle retired in 2011, NASA needed new ways to continue their missions.
Instead of building a new spaceplane from scratch, NASA decided to partner with private companies. This approach allows NASA to leverage the creativity and efficiency of the private sector while focusing on projects like the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars.
Out of all the projects that NASA is funding, Dream Chaser stands out as the most unique. But what exactly makes it so special?
First, Dream Chaser is designed to be reusable. Unlike traditional capsules that land in the ocean or on hard ground, Dream Chaser can land on a runway, just like an airplane.
Dream Chaser is a spaceplane, which means it combines elements of a traditional aircraft and a spacecraft. It has wings and can glide back to Earth, providing a smoother and more controlled landing.
Additionally, Dream Chaser has been designed to dock with the International Space Station autonomously. This means it can approach and attach to the International Space Station without the need for manual intervention from astronauts. This is very important because we've seen many spacecrafts fly all the way to the International Space Station and then return to Earth without docking due to the challenges of manual docking. Boeing’s Starliner is a good example of this issue, as it experienced problems that prevented it from docking with the International Space Station during its initial test flight.
Of course, all these capabilities of the Dream Chaser are just on paper for now. But after years of preparation, the Dream Chaser is finally ready to show us what it can do. More than six months ago, in late October and early November of 2023, Sierra Space announced they had completed the first Dream Chaser prototype, Tenacity. At that time, they revealed that Dream Chaser would undergo several months of testing at NASA's Neil Armstrong Test Facility. After completing these tests, the spaceplane would move to Florida to get ready for its first launch.
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