Sierra Space announced May 9 that it had completed vibration and thermovacuum testing on the Dream Chaser Tenacity, which will now head to the Kennedy Space Center. Here it will be prepared for its first flight, and integrated with the Vulcan carrier which will launch it towards the ISS.
A new launch date has not yet been announced, but Sierra Space, which previously aimed for mid-April for departure, said it will take place “later this year.” This could mean that there are still a few months left before the operations are completed.
The Dream Chaser Tenacity was located at Neil Armstrong Test Facility of NASA, in Ohio, where the tests were performed. They first performed vibration tests, proving that the spacecraft will withstand launch vibrations. These operations were carried out at Neil Armstrong Test Facility where the largest vibrational platform for space applications in the world is located.
Then the thermal tests in vacuum or T-Vac were carried out, during which the Dream Chaser was exposed to temperatures varying between -100 C° up to +120 C°. These are the temperatures that the spaceplane will have to endure in space, depending on when it will be illuminated by the Sun or not.
The passage to the Kennedy Space Center
The Dream Chaser, along with its Shooting Star service module, will now be transported to the Kennedy Space Center, specifically the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF). Here, in particular, the ISS modules were prepared before leaving for space.
Further tests will be carried out at the SSPF, in particular acoustic and electromagnetic compatibility tests. Furthermore, Sierra Space communicated that some tests on the thermal protection system are still necessary, which will in turn be completed at the SSPF.
Sierra Space also announced the name of the second Dream Chaser. It is currently under construction and will be called Reverence™ and is under construction in Louisville, Colorado.
These missing works and tests do not bode well for launch times. As mentioned above, they have not currently been clarified by Sierra Space. The company is confident that Dream Chaser will launch by the end of the year, but this isn’t necessarily good news, given the previous launch date set for April.
ULA itself, which builds and operates the Vulcan launcher, has repeatedly expressed the urgency of launching, given that the rocket is ready and the third flight is waiting. The latter will be the first classified mission for Defense, a type of launch that will be the focus of Vulcan’s activity and which cannot be carried out before the second flight with Dream Chaser.
Do you like what you’re reading? You can contribute to the growth of the platform through our subscription. You will have access to insights, detailed analyses, research, newsletters, discounts on our Shop and much more. Access all the exclusive benefits of the Astrospace community.
Join Astrospace.it Orbit too.
Don’t miss the latest news and insights on the space sector:
Subscribe to our channel Telegram and follow us on Instagram
© 2024 Astrospace.it All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced or distributed in full only with the written authorization of Astrospace.it or partially with the obligation to cite the source.
