Dream Chaser - lifting body design. Credit: NASA/SNC
U.S. Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have signed an understanding to identify areas of collaboration with European industry for developing hardware and mission concepts for the Dream Chaser orbital transportation system.
Through these understandings, ESA and DLR will join the expanding SNC team and add European expertise to further advance the development of the Dream Chaser Space System.
A major area to be explored is ESA’s International Berthing Docking Mechanism, an advanced docking system designed for use on the International Space Station (ISS). That mechanism would actively capture and seal the vehicle to the orbiting station. The primary build of the system is in Belgium, Italy and Switzerland.
ESA will work with Sierra Nevada Corporation to identify how European hardware, software and expertise can be used to further the capabilities of the Dream Chaser orbital crew vehicle.
Lifting-body design
ESA and SNC will also study the possibilities for creating an industrial consortium including European partners to use Dream Chaser for European missions.
Dream Chaser is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to transport crew to the International Space Station and back to Earth by 2017.
Dream Chaser is the only lifting-body vehicle proposed in the program. It will transport astronauts and critical cargo to low Earth orbit and land like an aircraft on a runway.
“The combined strengths of our partner space agencies, industrial companies and education institutions will significantly advance space education, exploration and, for various missions such as microgravity science, spacecraft servicing, debris removal, and materials manufacturing, provide economic benefits to all partners and strengthen U.S. and international ties,” said Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president and head of SNC’s Space Systems.
Exclusive partner
In January 2013, Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Space Systems announced that Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company of Littleton, Colo., was joining the SNC Dream Chaser team.
Lockheed Martin is an exclusive partner to SNC on NASA’s Certification Products Contract and was competitively selected to build the composite structure for the Dream Chaser at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La.
By Leonard David