Sierra Space Dream Chaser Spaceplane Passes Key NASA Test in Preparation for ISS Resupply Mission

Written by Copernical Team Thursday, 30 January 2025 09:36

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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2025

Sierra Space, a leading innovator in commercial space exploration and defense technology, has announced a significant achievement in its partnership with NASA. The company successfully completed and passed its Joint Test 10B milestone for the Dream Chaser spaceplane. This test is a crucial step in Dream Chaser's mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). The test

Sierra Space Dream Chaser Spaceplane Passes Key NASA Test in Preparation for ISS Resupply Mission
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2025

Sierra Space, a leading innovator in commercial space exploration and defense technology, has announced a significant achievement in its partnership with NASA. The company successfully completed and passed its Joint Test 10B milestone for the Dream Chaser spaceplane. This test is a crucial step in Dream Chaser's mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).

The test focused on demonstrating Dream Chaser's capabilities to power up, air-cool, and manage data exchange with multiple powered payloads inside the spacecraft's pressurized cabin. These advancements bring Sierra Space closer to achieving its goal of supporting long-duration missions to the ISS.

"Tests like these are critical demonstrations of the capabilities of the Dream Chaser spaceplane and confirm our ability to handle specialized payloads such as vital scientific research that will be integral to our mission to the ISS," said Pablo Gonzalez, Vice President of Crew and Cargo Transportation Systems at Sierra Space. "This milestone highlights Dream Chaser's flexibility, reliability, and capacity to meet the diverse needs of our payload customers - including NASA and commercial partners - and it brings us another step closer to launch."

The completion of Joint Test 10B validates Dream Chaser's ability to support various payloads. It showed that Sierra Space can deliver power within a precise voltage range while maintaining the environmental conditions needed for each payload. The test also ensured that vehicle and payload data were visible at both Sierra Space's mission control center in Louisville, Colorado, and at NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

During this milestone test, the team evaluated three critical payloads, all of which are candidates for flight on DCC-1, Dream Chaser's inaugural mission. These included:

- Polar: A cryogenic preservation system developed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, under NASA's Cold Stowage Lab. Polar is designed to store scientific samples at temperatures ranging from -95C to +10C, aboard the ISS or other spacecraft.

- Powered Ascent Utility Locker (PAUL): A facility designed by Space Tango to house two CubeLab experiments, requiring power during ascent. These experiments primarily focus on biological research, including cell and tissue culture studies.

- NASA's Single Stowage Locker: A standard payload stowage system for carrying experiments and other essential cargo in the Dream Chaser spaceplane.

"Space Tango's recent integration testing with the Sierra Space Dream Chaser went well, and all teams were very happy with the results," said Anne Currin, Director of Mission Management at Space Tango. "We appreciate the steps the Sierra Space team has taken to get both the vehicle and Space Tango ready for a successful flight. It's been exciting to see this come together as we count down to a maiden flight that is scheduled to increase access for payload delivery to the International Space Station."

The tests, conducted last month at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, were overseen by both Sierra Space and NASA teams.