Dream Chaser
 |
|
| Manufacturer | Sierra Nevada Corporation |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Operator | NASA |
| Applications | ISS resupply |
| Specifications | |
| Spacecraft type | Unmanned cargo vehicle |
| Payload capacity |
5,000 kg (11,000 lb) pressurized, 500 kg (1,100 lb) unpressurized |
| Production | |
| Status | In development |
5,000 kg (11,000 lb) pressurized,
The Dream Chaser Cargo System is an American reusable automated cargo lifting-body spaceplane being developed by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Space Systems. The Dream Chaser is designed to resupply the International Space Station with both pressurized and unpressurized cargo. The vehicle would launch vertically on an Atlas V, Ariane 5 or Falcon Heavy rocket and land horizontally autonomously on conventional runways. Further development of the spaceplane includes a manned version Dream Chaser Space System, which is capable of carrying up to seven people to and from low Earth orbit.
On-orbit propulsion of the Dream Chaser was supposed to be provided by twin hybrid rocket engines fueled with non-toxic and storable hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and nitrous oxide. Unlike solid rockets, Dream Chaser's hybrid fuel system would allow the motor to stop and start repeatedly and be throttleable. SNC Space Systems was also developing a similar hybrid rocket, RocketMotor Two, for Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, as a subcontractor to Scaled Composites. In May 2014 their involvement in the program ended after Virgin Galactic elected to replace SNC's version of RocketMotorTwo, powered by HTBD rubber fuel, with its own internally developed hybrid motor using a polyamide plastic fuel, while continuing to use the same nitrous oxide oxidizer.
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