Dream Chaser for CEV requirement

publiusr said:
I seem to remember a story about Bill Gates wanting to bring back the Saturn V for Teledesic.
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Now, THAT, was very ambitious and if he had been serious this would've been a multi-billion dollar programme just to recreate the Saturn V's supply chain and rebuild its' production line.
 
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NMaude said:
Now, THAT, was very ambitious and he'd been serious this would've been a multi-billion dollar programme just to recreate the Saturn V's supply chain and rebuild its' production line.
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Oh so very many countless Moons ago I posted an April Fools joke on a now utterly nonexistent forum that *all* the blueprints of the Apollo Moon Program were safely ensconced in a radiation hardened container aboard the Apollo 11 lander stage - good times...
 
Dream Chaser proceeding, hits milestones despite uncertain future

Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser® Spaceplane Successfully Completes Critical Pre-flight Milestones [Nov 13]

Sierra Space announced today that its Dream Chaser® spaceplane has successfully completed a series of critical pre-flight tests at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC), marking continued progress toward Dream Chaser’s first free-flyer mission.

As part of its comprehensive testing campaign, Dream Chaser underwent Electromagnetic Interference and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMI/EMC) testing at NASA’s Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF). These tests verified the spacecraft’s ability to operate within expected electromagnetic environments throughout various missions.

The spacecraft also completed rigorous tow testing at KSC and Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility. For this phase, a Freightliner Cascadia truck, provided by Daimler Truck North America, towed the spaceplane at high speeds to simulate critical dynamics and validating autonomous navigational parameters during runway landing operations.

Additionally, Dream Chaser successfully demonstrated the ability to receive telemetry and distribute commands between the spacecraft and Mission Control in Louisville, Colorado over NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System network. This key milestone tested the spacecraft’s readiness for real-time command and control during flight operations.

The testing campaign concluded with a post landing recovery rehearsal, which demonstrated the safing of vehicle systems and timely access to sensitive payloads.

With these critical milestones achieved, we expect Dream Chaser to move to its final round of acoustic testing in December 2025. Following this, modifications for national security applications will be explored and performed in Colorado. These enhancements will aim to expand Dream Chaser’s versatility and demonstrate its ability to fulfill a wide array of mission requirements, including those essential to national defense.

Dream Chaser is on track for its first launch to Low Earth Orbit, targeted in Q4 of 2026, through a demonstration mission under the CRS-2 contract with a runway landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/2029542610151342479
View: https://twitter.com/SierraSpaceCo/status/2029542610151342479


Sierra Space Closes $550 Million in Series C Round, with a Valuation of $8 Billion [Mar 5]

Sierra Space Corporation announced today a $550 million equity investment led by LuminArx Capital Management, a global alternative investment manager, with participation from existing investors. The financing values the company at $8 billion post-money.

With this new capital, Sierra Space will be able to further focus on its national security space efforts through ongoing expansion of production capacity and continued development of differentiated solutions for its customers. The investment better positions Sierra Space to secure additional contracts, leverage existing technologies, and pursue growth opportunities beyond its current satellite and spacecraft mission programs.

[...]

Sierra Space’s investors include General Atlantic, Coatue, Moore Strategic Ventures, and Andalusian Private Capital, among others.

[...]

Sierra Space has been involved in more than 500 missions and has more than 30 years of space flight heritage. Over the past five years, the company has achieved a number of notable milestones, including:
• Cornerstone contract wins that include a $450 million award to build more than four satellites for a National Security customer and an SDA Tranche 2 Tracking Layer contract with a maximum potential value of $740 million to build 18 missile warning, tracking, and fire control satellites.
• Contracts awarded with essentially all eight space procurement agencies within the Department of War and Intelligence Community.
• Last year, the company completed its new power station facility, where it manufactures high-rate solar arrays for critical satellite missions.
• In 2025, the company also completed Critical Design Review (CDR) for two major national security satellite programs of record and completed all manufacturing and assembly milestones for the Dream Chaser® spaceplane, with a demonstration flight planned in late 2026.
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Sierra Space Appoints Dan Jablonsky as Chief Executive Officer [Feb. 26]

Sierra Space, a proven defense-tech company delivering solutions for the nation’s most critical missions and advancing the future of security in space, has appointed Dan Jablonsky as chief executive officer, effective March 2, 2026. This appointment comes as the company prepares for its next phase of growth across national security, defense, civil and commercial space markets.

Company founder Fatih Ozmen, who has been serving as interim chief executive officer, will continue as chair of the board.

Jablonsky has held several leadership positions throughout his career, most recently as chair and chief executive officer at Ursa Major Technologies, Inc. He also served as the CEO, president, and board member of Maxar Technologies, and earlier in his career, was president of DigitalGlobe, holding senior leadership roles spanning defense and commercial space businesses. He is also a current board member of BWX Technologies and the National Intelligence University Foundation.

“Dan brings tremendous experience leading complex aerospace and defense organizations at scale,” Ozmen said. “As Sierra Space expands production, advances key programs across civil and defense business, and supports growing customer demand, this is an exciting time to bring in a CEO with a track record of operational execution and disciplined growth.”

Jablonsky began his career as a surface warfare officer and nuclear engineer in the U.S. Navy. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a law degree from the University of Washington.

“Sierra Space has built meaningful technical depth and strong customer partnerships across national security and civil space,” Jablonsky said. “I appreciate the board’s confidence and look forward to working with the team to scale execution, strengthen operational performance, and deliver critical capabilities to our customers.”
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The general feeling around NSF seems to be that Dreamchaser will never fly. I think it’s because of the extended period of silence on the whole project isn’t taken as a good sign as the company used to be very responsive on the project.
 
Flyaway said:
The general feeling around NSF seems to be that Dreamchaser will never fly. I think it’s because of the extended period of silence on the whole project isn’t taken as a good sign as the company used to be very responsive on the project.
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I'd actually forgot about the Dreamchaser and that could happen but I hope that it gets to fly.
 
Flyaway said:
The general feeling around NSF seems to be that Dreamchaser will never fly. I think it’s because of the extended period of silence on the whole project isn’t taken as a good sign as the company used to be very responsive on the project.
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ULA not having a functional rocket isn't helping either, not that Sierra is ready to fly today even if Vulcan was available. No NASA contract means the business case also is a lot harder to justify.
 
Signs of life.

https://www.sierraspace.com/press-r...d-contracts-for-dream-chaser-inaugural-flight

LOUISVILLE, Colo., Sept. 2, 2026 – Sierra Space, a defense-tech space company delivering solutions for the nation’s most critical missions and advancing the future of security in space, announced today that it has secured contracts with undisclosed national security and commercial customers to fly payloads aboard Dream Chaser®—the only commercial reusable, runway-capable spaceplane—on its inaugural mission.
 
Given the current problems with Vulcan first-stage and its' BE-4 rocket-motors making them the pacing item this will no doubt a relief for the Dream Chaser team.
 
IMOHO, no. Opposite design philosophy in term of lift and glide profile. Lifting bodies are built to have just enough lift to glide back to ground from orbital speed when winged orbiters use large amount of extra lift to alter their vector path.
 
TomcatViP said:
IMOHO, no. Opposite design philosophy in term of lift and glide profile. Lifting bodies are built to have just enough lift to glide back to ground from orbital speed when winged orbiters use large amount of extra lift to alter their vector path.
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That would be wrong.
X-37 is based on shuttle design, which was mostly driven by landing requirements.
Orbit changes via lift was not a design requirement for X-37, it is more of a fallout (any reentry vehicle that produces lift can do it).
Neither was Dreamchaser

But since you brought it up:
X-37 has a subsonic L/D of 4.5 and Dreamchaser 4.3.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20010095443/downloads/20010095443.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._abort_capabilities_of_the_HL-20_lifting_body

X-37 has a hypersonic L/D of about 1 and Dreamchaser around 1.4.
Dreamchaser would be better at doing orbit changes using lift. The shuttle and X-37 enter at a high AOA to produce drag and protect the wings. A lifting body doesn't have this issue.
 
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