Author Topic: Sierra Nevada Corporation Enters Talks with the United Nations  (Read 23674 times)

Offline kch

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So Dream Chaser is the first spacecraft for Starfleet. Got it.

Remember, Starfleet was part of the United Earth Space Probe Agency, at least in early Star Trek episodes...

... and it's already decked out in Section 31 livery, to boot ... ;)

Offline Chris Bergin

Sierra Nevada Corporation and the United Nations
Announce First-Ever Dedicated
United Nations-Dream Chaser® Space Mission
Launching a Dedicated Dream Chaser Microgravity Mission for Member States in 2021

SPARKS, Nev. (September 27, 2016) – Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and have announced details of the first-ever United Nations space mission at the International Astronautical Congress today in Guadalajara, Mexico. The dedicated Dream Chaser® Mission is targeted at providing developing countries the opportunity to develop and fly microgravity payloads for an extended duration in orbit; however, all United Nations Member States will be able to propose payloads for the mission.

Innovating for Positive Impact
“At SNC our goal is to pay it forward,” said Eren Ozmen, SNC’s owner and president. “That means leveraging the creation and success of our Dream Chaser spacecraft to benefit future generations of innovators like us all around the world.”

This announcement builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in June 2016 between UNOOSA and SNC to collaborate on this historic United Nations space mission. The first-ever United Nations space mission is intended to launch in 2021 and will allow United Nations Member States to participate in a 14-day flight to low-Earth orbit (LEO) on SNC’s Dream Chaser spacecraft.

“One of UNOOSA’s core responsibilities is to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space,” said Simonetta Di Pippo, director of UNOOSA. “I am proud to say that one of the ways UNOOSA will achieve this, in cooperation with our partner SNC, is by dedicating an entire microgravity mission to United Nations Member States, many of which do not have the infrastructure or financial backing to have a standalone space program.”

Making Space Affordable
According to Ms. Di Pippo, funding of the mission will come from multiple sources. “We will continue to work closely with SNC to define the parameters of this mission which, in turn, will provide United Nations Member States with the ability to access space in a cost-effective and collaborative manner within a few short years. The possibilities are endless.”

Countries selected to provide mission payloads will be asked to pay a pro-rated portion of the mission cost, based on the resources required to host the payload and their ability to pay. In addition, major sponsors are being sought to finance a large portion of the mission costs.

Path to Mission Launch
Over the next year, mission partners will conduct briefings to United Nations Member States and potential payload providers about the goals and framework of the mission and to solicit proposals for payloads. To make the program more accessible to nations without a highly developed space industry, UNOOSA will offer technical support to countries that lack expertise or experience in developing microgravity payloads. Payloads will be selected in early 2018 to allow time for development and integration into the Dream Chaser spacecraft for launch expected in 2021.

SNC’s Dream Chaser is the only reusable, lifting-body, multi-mission-spacecraft capable of landing at commercial airports or spaceports able to accommodate large commercial aircraft – anywhere in the world. This offers the opportunity to land the United Nations mission in any licensed Member State supplying a payload on the mission. SNC is currently working with airports and spaceports to be granted a Federal Aviation Administration reentry license for commercial Dream Chaser missions. Recently selected to provide cargo delivery, return and disposal services for the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract, Dream Chaser is a safe, affordable, flexible and reliable system capable of crewed and uncrewed transportation services to LEO destinations such as the ISS.

About Sierra Nevada Corporation
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) provides customer-focused technology solutions in the areas of aerospace, aviation, electronics and systems integration. SNC has been honored as one of “The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space,” and one of America’s fastest growing companies. SNC’s Space Systems business area based in Louisville, Colorado, designs and manufactures advanced spacecraft, space vehicles, rocket motors and spacecraft subsystems and components for the U.S. Government, commercial customers, as well as for the international market. SNC has more than 25 years of space heritage, participating in more than 450 successful space missions and delivering 4,000+ systems, subsystems and components around the world.

For more information on SNC visit www.sncorp.com and follow us at Facebook.com/SierraNevCorp and Twitter @SierraNevCorp. Sierra Nevada Corporation and SNC are trademarks of Sierra Nevada Corporation.
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Offline rayleighscatter

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Big news. Although the early 2018 payload selection date sounds ambitious. That would mean nations without a space program and its technical background have to design microgravity experiments and hardware in less than 18 months.

Online yg1968

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« Last Edit: 09/30/2016 12:47 am by yg1968 »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Article on this topic with some additional info:
http://spacenews.com/united-nations-to-fly-first-space-mission-on-dream-chaser/

That article says a 2 week mission, maybe that's changing:

Quote
Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 4m4 minutes ago

Mark Sirangelo of @SierraNevCorp discussing planned Dream Chaser mission for UN in 2021: fly expts for dev nations, 2-4 weeks in orbit.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/867724802966138881

Jeff is on Capitol Hill for the 'Zero G Summit: Space Diplomacy in the Age in NewSpace' event.

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