| Tenacity | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Lifting body spaceplane |
| Serial no. | DC101 |
| Owner | Sierra Nevada Corporation |
| Manufacturer | Sierra Nevada Corporation |
| Specifications | |
| Power | Solar panels |
| Rocket | Vulcan Centaur |
| History | |
| First flight |
|
| Dream Chasers | |
Dream Chaser Tenacity (DC101) is the first Dream Chaser spacecraft expected to fly in space. Manufactured by the Sierra Nevada Corporation, it will first fly to the International Space Station as part of the SNC Demo-1 mission in 2024, under the CRS-2 contract. [2]
The Sierra Nevada Corporation was awarded a CRS-2 contract for by NASA for six operational resupply spaceflights to the International Space Station. SNC Demo-1 is a demo flight that will precede the operational resupply flights if the mission is successful. [3]
Tenacity and other Dream Chasers will be mated with a Shooting Star module, which will provide an additional 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) of payload capacity, in addition to the 2,000 lb (910 kg) carried by the spaceplane. The module will be separated from the Dream Chaser prior to reentry and burn up in the atmosphere, while the Dream Chaser vehicle will perform a runway landing to be reused. [4]
In 2023, Tenacity was still under development. Overall, the spacecraft's structure was largely complete, but it was still being prepared for the mission. [2]
By 2024, the spacecraft and its Shooting Star module were stacked and undergoing vibration and acoustics tests at NASA's Neil Armstrong Test Facility. Additionally, the Vulcan Centaur rocket that will carry it had its maiden flight in 8 January 2024, paving the way for Tenacity's first launch. [5] In April 2024, it was reported that Tenacity would be arriving at Kennedy Space Center imminently. [6]
The Sierra Space team named its first orbit capable Dream Chaser Tenacity as a tribute to all the years of hard work they undertook for the Spacecraft to reach its maiden flight . [5]
| Mission | Launch date | Duration | Landing date | Description | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNC Demo-1 | June 2024 [1] | 82 days (planned) | 2024 (planned) | First demo flight to the ISS of the Dream Chaser spacecraft under the CRS-2 contract. | Planned |
Human spaceflight programs have been conducted, started, or planned by multiple countries and companies. Until the 21st century, human spaceflight programs were sponsored exclusively by governments, through either the military or civilian space agencies. With the launch of the privately funded SpaceShipOne in 2004, a new category of human spaceflight programs – commercial human spaceflight – arrived. By the end of 2022, three countries and one private company (SpaceX) had successfully launched humans to Earth orbit, and two private companies had launched humans on a suborbital trajectory.
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Dream Chaser is an American reusable lifting-body spaceplane developed by Sierra Space. Originally intended as a crewed vehicle, the Dream Chaser Space System is set to be produced after the Dream Chaser Cargo System cargo variant is operational. The crewed variant is planned to carry up to seven people and cargo to and from low Earth orbit.
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Sierra Nevada Corporation is an American aerospace, defense, electronics, engineering and manufacturing corporation that specializes in aircraft modification, integration and other space technologies. The corporation contracts with the United States Armed Forces, NASA, and private spaceflight companies. The corporation is headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, and has 36 locations in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Turkey.
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The retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle fleet took place from March to July 2011. Discovery was the first of the three active Space Shuttles to be retired, completing its final mission on March 9, 2011; Endeavour did so on June 1. The final shuttle mission was completed with the landing of Atlantis on July 21, 2011, closing the 30-year Space Shuttle program.
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Vulcan Centaur is a two-stage-to-orbit, expendable, heavy-lift launch vehicle created and operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA). It is principally designed for the United States Space Force's National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, which launches satellites for the Defense Department and U.S. intelligence agencies. It will replace ULA's existing heavy-lift Atlas V and Delta IV Heavy rockets. Vulcan Centaur will also be used for commercial launches, including an order for 38 launches from Kuiper Systems.
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SNC Demo-1, also known as Dream Chaser Demo-1, is the planned first flight of the Sierra Nevada robotic resupply spacecraft Dream Chaser to the International Space Station (ISS) under the CRS-2 contract with NASA. The demonstration mission is planned for launch in June 2024 on the second flight of the ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket. Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) developed a new reusable spacecraft to provide commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station (ISS), based on decades of lifting body programs. Under the Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) program, SNC designed Dream Chaser with industrial partner Lockheed Martin. SNC also designed the accompanying Shooting Star cargo module with subcontractor Applied Composites. At the end of mission, the Shooting Star will destructively reenter the atmosphere and the Dream Chaser will land at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility.
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