Is Dream Chaser Tenacity On Track To Launch In 2023?
Dream Chaser is a spaceplane trying to change how we access space. Decades ago, the Space Shuttle reinvented the spacecraft design and what was possible within the industry. While by no means perfect, it helped both build and support a lot of key space infrastructure still in use today. Dream Chaser while very different, has ambitious goals for the near future.
In terms of progress, right now Dream Chaser Teancity, the first Dream Chaser test article meant for space, is preparing for its mission. The mission begins with Tenacity being launched on top of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur where it will then dock to the ISS before returning safely for a gentle runway landing. However, with a lot of work still left from both companies, it brings up the question of whether or not the third quarter of this year is still a realistic launch date.
Dream Chaser’s past has been plagued with quite a few delays. For over a decade now the spaceplane has been going through various development, testing, and now final preparation. Here I will go more in-depth into the possibilities of new delays, Tenacity’s progress, ULA and Sierra Space’s plans, and more.
Tenacity’s Launch Date
In late 2022, Sierra Space officials made it clear that the first launch of Dream Chaser Tenacity would happen in the summer of 2023. This third quarter launch date requires the cooperation and coordination of multiple companies along with NASA. With it now being March, we are officially only months away from this expected launch date.
However, are Dream Chaser and ULA on track with both the Tenacity test article and the Vulcan rocket? Starting with Tenacity, for months now we have been provided the occasional update from Sierra Space on its progress. Most recently in a statement, the company said, “The first Dream Chaser, Tenacity, is nearing completion and will subsequently ship to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Cleveland, Ohio, for final space environmental testing ahead of its first mission to the ISS later this year.” This quote was released in the middle of January so by now it’s been over a month. It highlights a few things including the fact that they are still targeting this year for the mission, and that Tenacity is nearing completion.
The last physical update on Tenacity was in late last year. Here we learned more about the main project underway which was attaching the thousands of heat shield tiles to the body of Tenacity. By now, this process should be complete based on past estimates. Assuming the heat shield tile application is done, there are only a few final steps necessary before they send it off for testing. The testing phase will put Dream Chaser Tenacity through different scenarios to make sure it’s ready for the mission. If they all show promising results then it’s still likely that the spaceplane is ready for a third quarter launch.
This being said, Sierra Space is not the only company responsible for whether or not this mission is delayed. Back in 2019, it was announced that all six Dream Chaser CRS-2 flights would be carried into orbit by ULA’s Vulcan launch vehicle. The upcoming mission is set to be Vulcan’s second ever flight, which is a pretty big deal. Currently, the first Vulcan is at the launch pad preparing for its maiden flight, however, we haven’t heard much regarding the second Vulcan for Dream Chaser. In June 2022, Tory Bruno tweeted saying, “We have sold 70 Vulcans. The first 8 are in flow in the Rocket Factory” By now, the second Vulcan will need to be practically complete in order for a third quarter launch.
The first Vulcan mission has been pushed back quite a bit which will likely have an effect on the second mission. Right now Vulcan is set to lift off no earlier than May 4th. This puts it just months behind the date for Tenacity’s mission. In terms of progress, integrated testing of the rocket stages, VLP and ground systems, will be conducted within the VIF over the next few weeks before Vulcan rolls out to Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 to undergo a series of fuel-loading and countdown exercises. The testing culminates with a Flight Readiness Firing (FRF) to practice the full day-of-launch timeline complete with a brief ignition of the rocket’s main engines. The results of this test will also have a major impact on the first launch of Dream Chaser. If Vulcan performs well it will help reinforce the system and its timeframe. If something goes wrong Dream Chaser’s mission will be delayed heavily. Based on the progress between both companies, it’s very possible that Tenacity’s maiden flight gets pushed back into early 2024 if not later.
Dream Chaser Spaceplane
For years now, Sierra Space has been preparing for this mission. Under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract, Dream Chaser will provide a minimum of seven cargo service missions to and from the space station. This upcoming launch is the first planned flight of the SNC uncrewed Dream Chaser to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission is expected to last around 80 days with Tenacity docking to the Space Station, delivering supplies, before returning to Earth and landing on a runway.
It’s important to point out that this mission will also include the Shooting Star transport vehicle. In 2019, it was announced that an expendable Shooting Star cargo module would be part of the Dream Chaser cargo system for CRS-2 flights. The module is a 15-foot (4.6 m) long attachment to Dream Chaser that will allow the spacecraft to carry an additional 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) of pressurized and unpressurized cargo to ISS. The module supports disposal of unwanted cargo by burning up upon re-entry. In addition to carrying cargo, the Shooting Star module includes solar panels that supply up to 6 kW of electrical power. It also supplies active and passive thermal management; provides Dream Chaser translation & rotation capability via six mounted thrusters; and supports berthing or docking (in different configurations) to the ISS. Access from ISS to Dream Chaser will involve crew passing through Shooting Star (which supports a shirt-sleeve environment) and through a hatch that separates Shooting Star from Dream Chaser. Sierra Nevada says the module is capable of additional types of missions in LEO or to cis-lunar destinations; they have developed a free-flying variant with additional capabilities.
Designed for high reusability, Dream Chaser is trying to reduce overall cost, providing quick turnarounds between missions. The ability to liftoff on top of multiple launch vehicles and land at a wide variety of runways is expected to make Dream Chaser a flexible option for reliable transportation. While this first mission has no crew, Dream Chaser was originally designed as a crewed spaceplane, in part under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, capable of carrying up to seven astronauts to and from the space station and other low Earth orbit (LEO) destinations. Dream Chaser is 30 feet, or 9 meters long—roughly ¼ the total length of the space shuttle orbiters. The crewed version of Dream Chaser is approximately 85% common to the cargo system, limiting primary changes to windows, environmental control and life support systems. In addition, an integral main propulsion system is available for abort capability and major orbital maneuvers.
The Dream Chaser spaceplane is a multi-mission vehicle capable of supporting a variety of LEO needs. It can be customized for both domestic and international customers via vehicle configuration, launch site, destination, landing site, duration, and a host of other variables. Sierra Space has entered into agreements with multiple international space agencies. Together they are developing technologies, applications, and missions for Dream Chaser-based space systems. For example, back in 2022, they announced the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The agreement added the world-class New Mexico spaceport to Sierra Space’s portfolio of potential global landing sites for its Dream Chaser.
Spaceport America, located in southern New Mexico, is the most recent addition to a growing list of compatible runways worldwide where the Dream Chaser could land, including the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and airports and landing sites in Huntsville, Alabama, Oita Airport, Japan, and Spaceport Cornwall in the United Kingdom. “Sierra Space is building the future of space – from transportation, to commercial space destinations and all of the emerging applications – to develop a vibrant, growing, and accessible commercial space economy,” said Sierra Space CEO, Tom Vice. “With that vision in mind, we are creating space-tech hubs within the commercial space ecosystem and adding Spaceport America as a prospective landing site for Dream Chaser to continue to open up affordable access to space for all.”
The MOU outlined the two organizations’ mutual pursuit to increase Spaceport America’s capabilities and demand for Dream Chaser reentry at the spaceport. As a result, in line with their shared vision, both parties will pursue a Part 433 reentry site operator’s license for Spaceport America from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). An important process that Sierra Space plans to continue working on as time goes on.
Conclusion
Sierra Space and its partner ULA are working toward Dream Chaser’s maiden flight later this year. However, based on the current progress of ULA’s first Vulcan flight and Dream Chaser Tenacity, it’s possible this mission gets pushed back to early 2024. We will have to wait and see how it progresses and the impact it has on the space industry.
