Sierra Space has completed the assembly of the first Dream Chaser spacecraft, Tenacity, scheduled for a cargo mission to the International Space Station as early as next spring. The spacecraft will be transported for testing by NASA before its planned launch on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket.
Here are some more details about Tenacity and its mission:
- Tenacity is the first of the DC-100 Dream Chaser fleet, which is designed to provide versatile and reusable transportation services to low-Earth orbit (LEO).
- Tenacity is a 30-foot-long (9-meter-long) spaceplane that can carry up to 12,000 pounds (5,400 kilograms) of pressurized and unpressurized cargo, and return up to 4,400 pounds (2,000 kilograms) of cargo to Earth with a gentle runway landing.
- Tenacity is also equipped with a Shooting Star cargo module, a 15-foot-long (4.5-meter-long) transport and disposal vehicle that can deliver additional cargo, perform in-space experiments, and dispose of trash at the end of the mission.
- Tenacity will fly to the International Space Station as part of the SNC Demo-1 mission, under the NASA Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract. The mission will demonstrate Tenacity’s capabilities and performance, as well as deliver critical supplies and science experiments to the station’s crew.
- Tenacity will launch on the Vulcan Centaur rocket, a new heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by United Launch Alliance. The rocket will use two solid rocket boosters and a dual-engine Centaur upper stage to deliver Tenacity to orbit. The rocket will also feature a 5-meter-diameter payload fairing to accommodate Tenacity’s folded wings and tail.
- Tenacity will undergo environmental testing at NASA’s Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio, where it will be subjected to vibrations, acoustics, and thermal conditions similar to those experienced during launch and flight. The testing will ensure that Tenacity is ready and safe for its maiden voyage.
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, sierraspace.com
