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#1 2022-01-08 10:44:46
- Void
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- Registered: 2011-12-29
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Dream Chaser Orbital Reef New Glen Vulcan Inflatables
If the management wants to shift this to somewhere else, no complaints from me.
I did not see an appropriate topic.
This is about "Dream Chaser Orbital Reef New Glen Vulcan Inflatables", and maybe some other things. It seems like it could be "The other space program". And quite welcome, I feel.
This is from "The Angry Astronaut".
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=th … M%3DHDRSC3
It really is encouraging. Something different from SpaceX, although I am very much a fan of Starship and SpaceX.
Done.
Is it possible that the root of political science claims is to produce white collar jobs for people who paid for an education and do not want a real job?
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#2 2022-01-08 17:42:05
- SpaceNut
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Re: Dream Chaser Orbital Reef New Glen Vulcan Inflatables
Dream chaser has been capable of being lofted to space by the Atlas V but only in unmanned mode of which the rs180 engines are Russian so the New Glenn using the Bezo engines is the replacement rocket that is slated to be man capable.
We are waiting on a rocket at this point and not the Dream chaser.
https://sierraspace.com/capabilities/orbital-reef/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Reef
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#3 2022-03-31 20:08:46
- Void
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Re: Dream Chaser Orbital Reef New Glen Vulcan Inflatables
A couple of recent videos from The Angry Astronaut, about Dream Chaser:
Dream Chaser:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=th … &FORM=VIRE
Dream Chaser, Falcon 9. Apparently it is possible.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=th … &FORM=VIRE
I don't know if you stack a Dream Chaser on top of a Falcon 9, how the Falcon 9 2nd stage may fit in, or the Dream Chaser Shooting Star.
I enjoy thinking of these things.
We never know 100% what turns can occur. While Starship is advertised to bring 100 people all the way to Mars, that capability is not demonstrated as proven yet.
So, for instance, I could see a situation where perhaps Starship could be given life support for LEO to Moon prior to being able to go to Mars. In that case it might not yet be rated to bring humans to LEO from the Earth's surface. Of course Dragon might, but now it may be nice if Dream Chaser could be validated for crew down the road. Such thinking would not violate any existing plans for Starship and the Moon, that I am aware of.
It would be a path to "Early Returns", and perhaps more certain establishment of basic capabilities to needs.
Done.
Last edited by Void (2022-03-31 20:16:24)
Is it possible that the root of political science claims is to produce white collar jobs for people who paid for an education and do not want a real job?
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#4 2023-02-04 17:12:52
- SpaceNut
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Re: Dream Chaser Orbital Reef New Glen Vulcan Inflatables
Space startup Sierra Space has blown up its third inflatable space station module at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama
Space Startup Blows Up Another Giant Inflatable Space Station Module
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#5 2023-11-23 07:32:22
- Mars_B4_Moon
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Re: Dream Chaser Orbital Reef New Glen Vulcan Inflatables
After decades of dreams, a commercial spaceplane is almost ready to fly
https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/11/a … dy-to-fly/
“Plunging into the ocean is awful. Landing on a runway is really nice."
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#6 2023-11-23 10:05:24
- SpaceNut
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Re: Dream Chaser Orbital Reef New Glen Vulcan Inflatables
The ship is able to launch on a variety of vehicles which when you get more of them built will take advantage of the launch windows to the max.
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#7 2025-10-02 09:27:14
- tahanson43206
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Re: Dream Chaser Orbital Reef New Glen Vulcan Inflatables
The article at the link below is an update on Dream Chaser...
There are no details (that I could find) about the ** issues ** during NASA testing at Kennedy Space Center.
Apparently the options for Dream Chaser are extending in non-NASA directions.
Sierra Space Dream Chaser’s NASA deal upended, 1st flight pushed to late 2026
Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel
Tue, September 30, 2025 at 7:02 PM EDT
4 min readSierra Space had been looking to join SpaceX and Northrop Grumman as one of three commercial resupply partners for NASA aiming to fly its Dream Chaser spacecraft to the International Space Station.
But now Dream Chaser won’t be guaranteed any flights to the space station after NASA and Sierra Space mutually agreed to adjust the contract.
The Dream Chaser spacecraft made it to Kennedy Space Center in spring 2024 and had been aiming to fly on the second-ever launch of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan later that year. But issues after testing forced its ride to space to move on without them.
Now, Sierra Space and NASA have changed their deal so Dream Chaser’s first flight will be a free flyer, not hooking up with the space station. And because of ULA’s growing manifest including priority national security missions, the next available Vulcan won’t come until late 2026.
“Development of new space transportation systems is difficult and can take longer than what’s originally planned,” said NASA’s Dana Weigel, manager of the space station program. “The ability to perform a flight demonstration can be a key enabler in a spacecraft’s development and readiness, as well as offering greater flexibility for NASA and Sierra Space.”
Dream Chaser looks like a miniature space shuttle, but is about one quarter the size. Sierra Space had originally won the NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract back in 2016 with Dream Chaser awarded seven cargo flights to the space station joining previous commercial contract winners SpaceX with its cargo Dragon and Northrop Grumman, formerly Orbital ATK, with its Cygnus spacecraft.
But now, NASA will provide minimal support to the remainder of Dream Chaser’s development and first flight. NASA can still order Dream Chaser resupply flights if the first test flight is successful.
“As NASA and its partners look toward space station deorbit in 2030, this mutually agreed to decision enables testing and verification to continue on Dream Chaser, as well as demonstrating the capabilities of the spaceplane for future resupply missions in low-Earth orbit,” Weigel said.
Sierra Space had initially tried to win a contract for a human-rated version of Dream Chaser, but NASA opted to give those commercial contracts to SpaceX for Crew Dragon and Boeing for its Starliner.
The company still aims to develop a human-rated version of the vehicle that could be used to fly to any of the commercial space stations in development that look to replace the International Space Station once it’s decommissioned.
Tom Vice, then CEO of Sierra Space, talks to hundreds of employees in front of the Dream Chaser to thank them for all of their hard work at Sierra Space on October 30, 2023 in Louisville, Colorado. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post) The first Dream Chaser is named Tenacity.
Unlike SpaceX, which has Dragon landings in the water, and Cygnus, which burns up in Earth’s atmosphere after the station is done with it, Dream Chaser is designed to land back on Earth in the same way the space shuttle orbiters did.
Its first missions would target a return at Kennedy Space Center at the former space shuttle landing facility.
The spacecraft has been in the works for more than 15 years.
The vehicle to date has only made successful drop tests outside of Florida from high altitudes to show its ability to land safely. In 2024, it completed months of testing at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio before it made its way to Kennedy Space Center.
The unmanned, 30-foot-long vehicle can deliver up to 12,125 pounds of supplies and can remain attached to the ISS and become an extension of the workable space. The roadmap calls for a crew version configuration with room up to seven crewmembers and supplies.
Sierra Space had already partnered with Blue Origin to pursue a commercial space station called Orbital Reef, and the Dream Chaser could become an essential crew and cargo spacecraft for it.
The company also says the pivot to a free-flying demonstration would allow it to be considered for use on future national security and defense demonstrations.
“Dream Chaser represents the future of versatile space transportation and mission flexibility,” said Fatih Ozmen, Sierra Space’s executive chair. “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.”
Ozmen touted the spacecraft’s adaptability for rapid deployment as well as the ability to land on any conventional runway, allowing for rapid turnaround and reusability.
“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,” he said.
(th)
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