Dream Chaser spaceplane nears flight readiness with completion of key pre-flight checks
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 11, 2024
Sierra Area, a pioneering power in industrial house exploration and protection expertise, not too long ago introduced the achievement of a big milestone for its progressive Dream Chaser spaceplane, Tenacity, following the conclusion of the preliminary environmental testing part. Carried out at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Check Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, this part marks a vital step within the spacecraft’s journey in the direction of operational readiness.
Throughout the final month, the Dream Chaser and its accompanying cargo module, Capturing Star, underwent intensive vibration assessments. These checks, important for launch preparedness, simulated the acute circumstances skilled throughout ascent. The process was carried out on the NASA facility’s Mechanical Vibration Facility, the place the spacecraft, configured for launch, was subjected to the extreme vibrational forces attribute of spacecraft launch eventualities, using the world’s most superior spacecraft shaker desk.
Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Area, mirrored on the journey up to now: “After years of diligent growth, overcoming engineering challenges distinctive to pioneering aerospace applied sciences, we’re transitioning from a developmental part to operational capabilities. This yr signifies a pivotal shift in our method to house exploration, enhancing the connection between house and Earth.”
Jake Ingram, Dream Chaser’s Director of Applications, highlighted the significance of the vibration testing, stating, “Attaining this milestone is a testomony to our group’s dedication and the Dream Chaser program’s progress. We have successfully demonstrated the spacecraft’s sturdiness beneath launch circumstances, validating its structural integrity and operational reliability post-testing.”
This part encompassed a number of important checks: Sine Vibration Testing throughout all three axes, a Separation Shock Check that mimics the Dream Chaser’s detachment from the Capturing Star, and a deployment check of the spaceplane’s wings. These evaluations had been designed to determine the Dream Chaser’s resilience to launch stresses, operational performance in orbit, and compatibility with the Worldwide Area Station (ISS).
A notable a part of this testing part was ‘Joint Check #3’, an built-in system evaluation simulating the spaceplane’s post-launch operations, together with wing deployment and semi-autonomous flight to the ISS. This check was centered on verifying the software program interactions between Dream Chaser and the ISS, making certain command and knowledge trade functionalities had been as much as customary.
Following the completion of those checks, the Capturing Star cargo module was separated from the Dream Chaser and moved from the Armstrong Check Facility to the In-Area Propulsion (ISP) facility for additional assessments. The Dream Chaser is slated to hitch the cargo module on the ISP facility shortly, the place each spacecraft will bear thermal vacuum testing, marking one other important milestone in the direction of launch readiness and Sierra Area’s imaginative and prescient for house commercialization.
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