Dream Chaser Primary Structure Arrives In Colorado

October 15, 2019 – Sierra Nevada Company (SNC) publicizes the arrival of the first car construction to the corporate’s Colorado manufacturing facility, kicking off full meeting of the Dream Chaser spacecraft forward of its first mission for NASA in 2021. The construction is the biggest piece of know-how to make up Dream Chaser and probably the most superior high-temperature composite spaceframe ever constructed.

“It’s a rare engineering and manufacturing accomplishment,”
stated Eren Ozmen, chairwoman and president of SNC. “Our staff has been
wanting ahead to at the present time for a very long time in order that we are able to totally
assemble America’s spaceplane in preparation for its first mission for
NASA.” 

The first construction is a pressurized composite construction that may
comprise pressurized payloads heading to the Worldwide Area Station.
The construction was manufactured by subcontractor Lockheed Martin and
just lately shipped from their Fort Price, Texas facility to Louisville,
Colorado, the place Dream Chaser is being constructed and built-in by SNC.

“As the primary constructing block of the spacecraft, it represents the
first crucial path hardware to be obtained in Colorado and launch of
the meeting, integration and check (AI&T) section of this system,”
stated former NASA area shuttle commander, astronaut and retired USAF
pilot Steve Lindsey, now senior vice chairman of technique for SNC’s
Area Programs enterprise space.  “Dream Chaser is really a state-of-art
car with innovative know-how. This construction exemplifies its
distinctive design and complexity.”

Highlights Of The Design:

• Makes use of superior composite 3D woven meeting strategies and represents the
  most superior high-temperature composite spaceframe ever constructed.
• Construction is about 30 ft lengthy by 15 ft large and roughly 6 ft excessive and weighs roughly 2,200 kilos.
• Supplies embody carbon fiber bolstered polymers (CFRPs), extra historically known as “composites.”
• Using CFRP supplies as an alternative of aluminum and titanium alloys,
  lowers manufacturing prices for creating a singular, aerodynamically
  complicated spaceframe design.  
• Composites lower the quantity of thermal safety required in comparison with an aluminum major construction. 
• Superior 3D woven development decrease penetrations to the recent decrease aeroshell.

Dream Chaser is scheduled to launch beginning in late 2021 for at
least six cargo resupply and return providers to the Worldwide Area
Station for NASA below the Business Resupply Providers 2 (CRS-2)
contract.  The Dream Chaser Cargo System can carry as much as 12,000 kilos
of provides and different cargo, and returns delicate science to Earth with a
mild runway touchdown.