NASA’s new Dream Chaser spacecraft takes off like a rocket but lands gently on a runway
- The Dream Chaser takes off like a rocket, but is perfectly capable of landing softly
- It’s designed for cargo deliveries, but a version for manned mission is currently being bold
- It can be reused up to 15 times
Published on Feb 20, 2024 at 8:17 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Feb 22, 2024 at 3:45 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Adam Gray
This is the Dream Chaser – a new type of space shuttle developed by NASA.
It’s quite brilliant.
It takes off like an absolute rocket, but when it comes to landing, it’s like a feather landing on a pillow.
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NASA is keeping quite busy amid plans to get back on the Moon and, hopefully, to Mars.
But that didn’t stop the US space agency launching the Dream Chaser into low-Earth orbit.
The 30-foot / nine-meter spacecraft, with a seven-meter wingspan, is large enough to accommodate up to seven astronauts, and it is going to be used to provide seven cargo delivery missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Dream Chaser can be reused up to 15 times, which is a game changer.
The fact that pretty much any spacecraft would could only be used once was one of the biggest hurdles when it came to the space race.
The Dream Chaser is only designed for cargo, but the good news is NASA is also working on a version that’s designed for manned missions.
It was built by Sierra Space, a private company that’s got a contract with NASA.
And the company is unsurprisingly rather happy with the result.
“We have arrived at a profound milestone in both our company’s journey and our industry’s future,” said Sierra Space CEO, Tom Vice, in a press release.
“Dream Chaser [is a] breakthrough [that] redefines space travel, one that has been years in the making and is shaped by audacious dreaming and tenacious doing.”
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