{"id":508442,"date":"2024-11-08T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/?p=508442"},"modified":"2024-11-08T13:32:10","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T18:32:10","slug":"sierra-space-expands-spaceplane-fleet-with-in-house-mission-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/sierra-space-expands-spaceplane-fleet-with-in-house-mission-control\/","title":{"rendered":"Sierra Space expands spaceplane fleet with in-house mission control"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>LOUISVILLE, Colorado \u2014 The long-awaited inaugural cargo flight of Sierra Space\u2019s Dream Chaser spaceplane has been delayed to no earlier than May 2025, pushing back a launch previously expected this year. In the meantime, Sierra Space is moving forward with its second cargo spaceplane, Reverence, alongside work on an array of inflatable habitats and other structures to meet growing demand for in-space infrastructure.<\/p><!--more--><p>The inaugural flight will send the spaceplane Tenacity to the International Space Station atop a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur expendable rocket. <a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/sierra-space-prepares-to-ship-dream-chaser-to-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tenacity is now<\/a> at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida; Sierra Space spokesperson Alex Walker shared the new May 2025 estimate and said work on Reverence, also known as DC-102, will resume once the team returns to Colorado \u2014 but declined to clarify when that would happen. At that point, Walker said, it will likely be another 18 months before the second spaceplane is complete. In addition to the fleet of cargo-carrying craft, Sierra Space is also working on a crewed variant of the vessel, labeled the DC-200 series, and a national security DC-300 variant.<\/p><p>Dream Chaser was<a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/nasa-proposes-final-extension-of-iss-cargo-contracts\/\"> selected by NASA<\/a> to provide cargo delivery, return and disposal service for the ISS under the space agency\u2019s Commercial Resupply Service 2 (CRS-2) contract.<\/p><p>\u201cEach Dream Chaser is good for 15 missions,\u201d said Angie Wise, Sierra Space\u2019s chief safety officer and senior vice president for mission assurance. \u201cSo, Reverence will give us a total of 30 missions that we can use for different customers.\u201d<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cargo modules<\/h3><p>Shooting Star cargo modules line the factory floor near Reverence. These modules attach to the Dream Chaser to carry science gear, food and other cargo to the ISS. Crews can access the Shooting Star via the Dream Chaser\u2019s aft hatch once the spacecraft is berthed by robotic arm to the station.<\/p><p>\u201cThe first Dream Chaser and Shooting Star have gone through a litany of environmental tests so far, ranging from vibration and thermal vacuum testing at [NASA\u2019s] Plum Brook to now acoustic and EMI testing at Kennedy,\u201d said Walker. <em>(Plum Brook, a NASA facility in Sandusky, Ohio, was renamed the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in 2021.) <\/em>The first Shooting Star module will fly on Tenacity\u2019s maiden orbital flight.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?resize=1024%2C540&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-508445\" style=\"width:854px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?resize=1024%2C540&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?resize=300%2C158&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?resize=768%2C405&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?resize=1536%2C809&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?resize=1200%2C632&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?resize=1568%2C826&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?resize=400%2C211&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?resize=706%2C372&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.jpeg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1024x540.jpeg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Shooting Star cargo modules under assembly. The first module is complete and now at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. Credit: Barbara David<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Sierra Space also plans to develop a free-flying, cargo satellite version of Shooting Star to house payloads in orbit, Wise explained, that could then be returned to Earth via a return logistics deployable decelerator called Sierra Space Ghost, now being prototype tested.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mission control<\/h3><p>Adjacent to the factory floor, Sierra Space\u2019s new, in-house mission control center will support Dream Chaser operations. The control room features a live feed from NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center.<\/p><p>The mission control will be staffed by about a dozen people. \u201cIf we are just mated to the space station and no crew is coming in to do any cargo loading, we can go to a much smaller number during that time,\u201d Wise explained.<\/p><p>\u201cWhat we\u2019re doing now is training our team on how to fly Dream Chaser, how to be mission specialists,\u201d said Wise. The team is currently conducting simulated missions, some of which are done jointly with NASA and United Launch Alliance, she added.<\/p><p>\u201cWe are going to fly Dream Chaser over and over before she ever launches to make sure we have all the kinks worked out,\u201d said Wise.<\/p><p>\u201cAnd just when our team thinks they are doing a great job flying Dream Chaser we\u2019re going to start throwing failures at them. We\u2019ll put them in high-stress situations. I want the worst day in this room to be a simulation,\u201d Wise said.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Inflatable habitats<\/h3><p>In the same work area as the Shooting Star modules, Sierra Space engineers are also working on the Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) habitat. A key aspect of that project is evaluating and testing<a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/successful-airlock-test-lockheed-martin-invests-inflatable-space-structures\/\"> the use of softgoods<\/a> to fashion expandable structures using Vectran, a weave of high-performance liquid crystal polymer fiber that\u2019s stronger than steel when inflated.<\/p><p>In June 2023, NASA awarded a Space Act Agreement to Sierra Space under the second Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities initiative. That award included the blueprinting of new commercial space station architectures, as well as in-space logistics, refueling and servicing systems.<\/p><p>The company keeps a <a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/sierra-space-conducts-second-full-scale-burst-test-of-inflatable-module\/\">three-story<\/a> model on the factory floor that offers 285 cubic meters of volume wrapped around a semi-metallic core, replete with wall separators and floors on inflation. This unit is outfitted with a newly installed, built-in window. So far, the company has tested two full-scale inflatable structures and six smaller modules.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?resize=1024%2C572&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-508447\" style=\"width:784px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?resize=1024%2C572&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?resize=300%2C168&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?resize=768%2C429&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?resize=1536%2C858&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?resize=1200%2C671&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?resize=1568%2C876&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?resize=400%2C224&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?resize=706%2C394&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1.jpeg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spacenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-1-1024x572.jpeg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) habitat outfitted with a window. Credit: Barbara David<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><p>The inflatable habitat design is part of a roadmap to fabricate larger and larger expandable structures, said Shawn Buckley, vice president of Space Destinations and In-Space Infrastructure at Sierra Space.<\/p><p>\u201cOur engineering development work allows us to inflate and deflate the module so you can understand how the materials work together as an entire, integrated system,\u201d said Buckley. \u201cThe data the team has collected influences our larger articles that we\u2019re building.\u201d<\/p><p>That roadmap, coupled with an extensive testing campaign, said Buckley, can lead to a LIFE habitat offering 5,000 cubic meters of volume by expanding to over 70 feet (22 meters) in length and 62 feet in diameter.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hypervelocity testing<\/h3><p>As it develops inflatable modules, Sierra Space also needs to determine how they fare upon impact with micrometeoroids and orbital debris.<\/p><p>The company is currently testing the resilience of its habitat material at NASA\u2019s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico. There, the company bombards stacked material layers with gas guns that hurl projectiles at hypervelocity speeds, said Elizabeth Licavoli, a senior systems engineer. She runs the softgoods certification and testing activity at Sierra Space. The material layers being evaluated are designed to protect the habitat\u2019s restraint layer and air barrier, Licavoli explained.<\/p><p>\u201cIt gives us the confidence that these materials would be good on orbit, and also provides the benefit of radiation protection,\u201d she said.<\/p><p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This article has been updated with further details on Sierra Space&#8217;s LIFE habitat tests.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LOUISVILLE, Colorado \u2014 The long-awaited inaugural cargo flight of Sierra Space\u2019s Dream Chaser spaceplane has been delayed to no earlier than May 2025, pushing back a launch previously expected this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10919,"featured_media":508443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4148,4161],"tags":[1506,11571,3588],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[47],"class_list":["post-508442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commercial-archive","category-news-archive","tag-dream-chaser","tag-life-habitat","tag-sierra-space","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.6 (Yoast SEO v23.9) - 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