Sierra Space is developing a spacecraft called Dream Chaser that aims to compete with the likes of Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin in the space tourism industry. Dream Chaser is designed to be the world’s first winged commercial spacecraft. It will lift off on a rocket and then return to Earth using its own wings, similar to the original space shuttle design.
Sierra Space has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spaceport America in New Mexico to use the runway for landings. The company is also looking at other potential landing sites, including a shuttle landing facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, airports in Alabama and Japan, and Spaceport Cornwall in the UK.
The Dream Chaser concept is based on a 1990s NASA design called the HL-20. Although there were some problems during a test in 2013, the company has since focused on a cargo version of the spacecraft.
The cargo version of Dream Chaser will begin delivering to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023. Sierra Space plans a crew version of the spacecraft, which will be able to carry three to seven astronauts. The crude version is expected to be ready by 2025.
Sierra Space CEO Tom Weiss said they are creating a space-tech hub within the commercial space industry and the spaceport will contribute to making space more accessible and affordable. Spaceport America provided limited airspace, a large runway and launch complex. This makes it an ideal location for space operations. Virgin Galactic already operates missions from there.
Sierra Space also announced plans to establish the first commercial human spaceflight center and astronaut training academy. It will be led by Dr. Janet Cavindi, a veteran NASA astronaut at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.