Sierra Space and NASA have renegotiated their contract for the Dream Chaser spaceplane that will allow the spacecraft to make its first orbital flight next year as a free flier instead of visiting the International Space Station (ISS).
The ISS is an outpost in space and like any outpost it needs to be resupplied on a regular basis in order to survive. Currently, the space lab is kept in freeze-dried shrimp cocktail and toilet paper by cargo ships from SpaceX and Northrop Grumman, but these were meant to be the first pair of a larger fleet of spacecraft that would regularly visit the station.
In 2016, NASA awarded a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contract to Sierra Space to be one of the second tranche of companies to run cargo missions to the ISS, using the Dream Chaser spaceplane and its Shooting Star disposable versions that can be burned up in the Earth's atmosphere for garbage disposal.
Under this contract, NASA was required to buy at least seven supply missions from Sierra Space. However, since then, circumstances have thrown that plan into the trash.
The Dream Chaser program ended up suffering from frequent delays due to mishaps, design changes, and the complex nature of its three-mode propulsion system that can shift between low, medium, and high thrust by swapping from hydrogen peroxide to a mixture of peroxide and RP-1 fuel. This resulted in delays in certifying Dream Chaser to clear it for visiting the ISS.
On NASA's side, the ISS has been officially scheduled for decommissioning in 2030, after which it will be sent on a controlled plunge into the Earth's atmosphere. As a result, there was the question of whether there is time to schedule seven cargo missions for Dream Chaser. Added to this, Sierra Space wants to turn Dream Chaser into a "national asset" that needs to be decoupled from NASA so it can be used for national defense or security missions.
To this end, the space agency and Sierra Space have written up a new agreement where Dream Chaser's first orbital flight scheduled for 2026 will be as a free flier that will not visit the ISS. In addition, NASA is no longer required to buy any cargo missions, though it may do so if time allows.
One other point to this new agreement is that it looks to the post-ISS future of low-Earth orbit human spaceflight. Sierra Space seems keen on positioning Dream Chaser for the post-ISS age. With its ability to launch vertically on a rocket and land on a runway like a conventional aircraft, it's hoped that the spacecraft will be not only suitable for servicing planned private space stations, but will have the reusability, rapid turnaround, and affordability for defense and intelligence work.
“Dream Chaser represents the future of versatile space transportation and mission flexibility,” said Fatih Ozmen, Executive Chair at Sierra Space. “This transition provides unique capabilities to meet the needs of diverse mission profiles, including emerging and existential threats and national security priorities that align with our acceleration into the Defense Tech market. Together with NASA, we are seeking to preserve the exceptional potential of Dream Chaser as a national asset, ensuring its readiness for the next era of space innovation.”
Source: Sierra Space
