Dream Chaser mini-shuttle gets official launch window from NASA
Emre Kelly
The Dream Chaser mini-shuttle has received an official launch window from NASA for its premiere flight to the International Space Station, according to a statement by Sierra Nevada Corporation.
Dream Chaser's first mission in late 2020 will take supplies to the orbiting outpost under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services Contract 2 after launching atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The spacecraft can take up to 12,000 pounds of supplies in pressurized and unpressurized compartments and remain attached to the ISS for "extended periods" before gliding back down to Earth.
One of the spaceplane's key advantages is its ability to autonomously land on conventional runways with up to 4,400 pounds of cargo and science experiments – in this case, Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility.
A prototype version of the Dream Chaser conducted a successful 60-second free flight and landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California last November.
Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook at @EmreKelly.
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