Sierra Space’s uncrewed spaceplane, named Tenacity, has recently arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of NASA’s endeavor to enhance commercial resupply missions in low Earth orbit.
The spaceplane, accompanied by its Shooting Star cargo module, was transported from NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in a climate-controlled container and is gearing up for its inaugural flight to the International Space Station.
Prior to its arrival at Kennedy, the spaceplane and its cargo module underwent rigorous vibration testing using the agency’s Space Environments Complex, simulating launch and re-entry conditions. Subsequently, the duo was exposed to extremely low ambient pressures and temperatures ranging from -150 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit at NASA’s In-Space Propulsion Facility.
Upon reaching Kennedy, the teams swiftly transferred Dream Chaser Tenacity to the high bay within the Space Systems Processing Facility. Here, it will undergo comprehensive testing and prelaunch processing in preparation for its upcoming launch later this year.
The spaceplane is scheduled to launch aboard a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Vulcan rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying a payload of 7,800 pounds to the orbiting laboratory.
The remaining pre-flight tasks at Kennedy include conducting acoustic and electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing, finalizing work on the spaceplane’s thermal protection system, and integrating the final payload.
Dream Chaser is a 30-foot-long by 15-foot-wide lifting body design spaceplane. Its unique winged design enables it to transport cargo to and from low Earth orbit and land on a runway similar to NASA’s space shuttle. The 15-foot Shooting Star module can carry up to 7,000 pounds of cargo internally and features three unpressurized external payload mounts.
The agency’s expansion of commercial resupply services in low Earth orbit will involve the partially reusable transportation system conducting at least seven cargo missions to the space station. These future missions have the potential to last up to 75 days and deliver as much as 11,500 pounds of cargo.
The reusable Dream Chaser spacecraft, capable of returning up to 3,500 pounds of cargo to Earth, is complemented by the Shooting Star module, which is designed to dispose of up to 8,500 pounds of trash by burning up during re-entry. The introduction of Dream Chaser Tenacity marks the beginning of a fleet of Sierra Space spaceplanes dedicated to carrying out these important missions.
In order to certify the vehicle system for future agency resupply missions, NASA and Sierra Space will conduct a series of rigorous tests on the spaceplane in orbit. Dream Chaser Tenacity will demonstrate its attitude control, translational maneuvers, and abort capabilities as it approaches the space station.
Once the maneuverability demonstration is complete, the space station astronauts will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to dock the spacecraft to an Earth-facing port.
Following its approximately 45-day stay at the orbiting laboratory, the spaceplane will be released from the station and land at Kennedy’s Launch and Landing Facility. Upon landing, Dream Chaser will be powered down, and the Sierra Space team will transport it back to the processing facility for necessary inspections, unloading of remaining NASA cargo, and preparation for its next mission.
