Sierra Space recently announced its strategic partnership with Spirit Aerosystems to produce cargo modules for its Dream Chaser Vehicles.
The aerospace manufacturer, Spirit, will assist in the development and production of Shooting Star.
The Shooting Star is a cargo module that is attached to the aft end of the Dream Chaser lifting body vehicle. It will support future cargo missions to the International Space Station under NASA and Sierra Space's contract. Furthermore, Shooting Star will also be used for other applications.
The Partnership
Space Sierra and Spirit will work together to produce Shooting Star cargo modules for future ISS cargo missions. Aside from that, their partnership will also help expand the versatility of their designs, which will support the future missions of Sierra Space.
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The Shooting Star
Shooting Star can accommodate about 4,500 kilograms of pressurized and underpressurized cargo. It also comes with thrusters and solar panels.
The Shooting Star was built on its own by Sierra Space, but its partnership with Spirit can be helpful to them to lower their costs.
Tom Vice, chief executive of Sierra Space said, "Shooting Star is another innovative technological solution from Sierra Space for the new space economy, and with Spirit as a key partner, we are broadening accessibility to our offering and increasing efficiencies to accelerate more widespread adoption."
Vice also said that Spirit can bring more value in terms of design and manufacturability which will boost their production rates on the Dream Chaser.
The First Dream Chaser Mission
The Dream Chaser mission is scheduled to launch on the first quarter of 2023 on second flight of United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket. This is the first of the seven missions that is under a Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract that was awarded in 2016.
In April of 2022, Sierra Space provided updates on its first Dream Chaser spaceplane and stated that it's making good progress. The spaceplane is named Tenacity and is being assembled in their Colorado headquarters.
According to the president of Sierra Space Janet Kavandi, "We have the wings on now. It really looks like a spaceplane."
Vice also said that they have finished the structural testing of the vehicle and were now moving into the final integration and testing. He said that it will be ready to ship to NASA's Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio in August or September for four months of thermal vacuum testing.
Sierra Space is looking beyond cargo missions and is working on a crewed version of Dream Chaser that could launch in 2026. They also plan to offer it to NASA for future ISS crew transportation missions.
NASA has supported the earlier stages of Dream Chaser development through the funded Space Act Agreements in its Commercial Crew Development program.
Related article: 'Dream Chaser' Cargo Plane For Space Gets Nod Of Approval From NASA
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Written by April Fowell
