Author Topic: Dream Chaser through critical landing test, prepares for orbital flights  (Read 27151 times)

Offline Chris Bergin

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/dream-chaser-test-prepares-orbital-flights/

By Chris Gebhardt

Epic Uncrewed Dream Chaser L2 Renders - including the lead render - via NSF's Nathan Koga
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Offline Coastal Ron

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Great article about my favorite upcoming VTHL spacecraft.

One popular question has been why Sierra Nevada didn't go with SpaceX for launching the Dream Chaser, but in looking at the picture of the spacecraft mounted inside of the Atlas V payload fairing it sure looks like the standard Falcon 9 payload fairing would not be tall enough for the Dream Chaser launch configuration. Can anyone confirm that?

On Wikipedia they reference a length of 6.9m, but that is just for the vehicle. The launch stack would also include the expendable cargo portion, which as the solar panels (and is jettisoned in space before return to Earth). Falcon 9 has a total payload length of 11m, but only 6.7m at the full diameter, so the standard fairing appears to be too short for Dream Chaser Cargo.

Nice to be seeing progress!
If we don't continuously lower the cost to access space, how are we ever going to afford to expand humanity out into space?

Offline yg1968

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We had the discussions previously and a number of people agreed that the current Falcon 9 fairing isn't tall enough for cargo DC. There was talk a while ago (in the 2013 Bigelow report) that the FH would have an option for a taller fairing. But we haven't heard of this taller fairing since that time (4 years ago).

During the presser someone asked if DC was committed to Atlas V (and Vulcan) for the entire CRS2 contract. SNC said that they had only commited themselves for the early flights (the first two flights will be on an Atlas V) and Sirangelo then added that DC was LV agnostic and that a decision had not yet been made for the later flights.

https://www.space.com/37636-dream-chaser-space-plane-on-atlas-v-rockets.html
« Last Edit: 11/24/2017 09:20 pm by yg1968 »

Offline Markstark

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Great article. I had no clue they were doing Dream Chaser work at MAF.

Minor typo here "However, unlike a traditional CDR, which is when actual production would being, SNC is already well into the build for various elements of the first orbital Dream Chaser."

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Offline yg1968

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https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/dream-chaser-test-prepares-orbital-flights/

By Chris Gebhardt

Epic Uncrewed Dream Chaser L2 Renders - including the lead render - via NSF's Nathan Koga

Good article with lots of détails. Just the way we like it (on NSF)!

Offline Rocket Science

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Great article. I had no clue they were doing Dream Chaser work at MAF.

Minor typo here "However, unlike a traditional CDR, which is when actual production would being, SNC is already well into the build for various elements of the first orbital Dream Chaser."

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Welcome to the forum! :)
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
~Rob: Physics instructor, Aviator

Offline Rocket Science

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Thanks for the meaty article Chris G and the awesome renders by Nathan! 8) With some of the updates to Dream Chaser I wouldn't mind knowing what percentage the vehicle is toward a potential crewed version...
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
~Rob: Physics instructor, Aviator

Offline JAFO

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So no more ALT tests, or TBD?
« Last Edit: 11/25/2017 12:10 am by JAFO »
Anyone can do the job when things are going right. In this business we play for keeps.
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Offline Coastal Ron

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Great article. I had no clue they were doing Dream Chaser work at MAF.

Lockheed Martin is building the next Dream Chaser composite structure at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF).  Here is the press release:

Sierra Nevada Corporation and Lockheed Martin Expand Dream Chaser Orbital Vehicle Manufacturing
If we don't continuously lower the cost to access space, how are we ever going to afford to expand humanity out into space?

Offline Markstark

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Great article. I had no clue they were doing Dream Chaser work at MAF.

Lockheed Martin is building the next Dream Chaser composite structure at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF).  Here is the press release:

Sierra Nevada Corporation and Lockheed Martin Expand Dream Chaser Orbital Vehicle Manufacturing
Very cool thanks! Glad there will be additional uses of the MAF facilities.

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Offline Rocket Science

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So no more ALT tests, or TBD?
None planned, next stop space! 8)
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
~Rob: Physics instructor, Aviator

Offline Lars-J

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So no more ALT tests, or TBD?
None planned, next stop space! 8)

In any other industry, they would be laughed out of the room for declaring success after just one successful test...

Offline Rocket Science

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So no more ALT tests, or TBD?
None planned, next stop space! 8)

In any other industry, they would be laughed out of the room for declaring success after just one successful test...
Take it up with NASA pal...
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
~Rob: Physics instructor, Aviator

Offline rayleighscatter

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So no more ALT tests, or TBD?
None planned, next stop space! 8)

In any other industry, they would be laughed out of the room for declaring success after just one successful test...
That sounds more like a complaint that should be brought up in regards to commercial crew providers. Unless we're putting experiments above lives.

Offline su27k

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So no more ALT tests, or TBD?
None planned, next stop space! 8)

In any other industry, they would be laughed out of the room for declaring success after just one successful test...
That sounds more like a complaint that should be brought up in regards to commercial crew providers. Unless we're putting experiments above lives.

Commercial crew has way more tests than this, NASA added 6 parachute tests for each provider, that's on top of however many tests the providers originally planned.

Offline rayleighscatter

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Commercial crew has way more tests than this, NASA added 6 parachute tests for each provider, that's on top of however many tests the providers originally planned.
Not to mention that extensive battery of inflight abort scenarios they'll test... Well one of them anyway... for the provider that's even doing one.
« Last Edit: 11/26/2017 01:42 pm by rayleighscatter »

Offline Rocket Science

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Some folks just wish to believe that SNC pulled Dream Chaser out of their backside and if they did their research before they comment would realize that this is a follow-on program to the extensive design and testing performed by NASA on the HL-20.
https://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/crgis/images/4/43/1992-04_HL-20_Model_for_Personnel_Launch_Systm_Research.pdf
https://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/HL-20

Full scale wind tunnel testing:
« Last Edit: 11/26/2017 03:10 pm by Rocket Science »
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
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Offline Jim

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So no more ALT tests, or TBD?
None planned, next stop space! 8)

In any other industry, they would be laughed out of the room for declaring success after just one successful test...

Different risk postures and different production rates

Offline Lee Jay

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So no more ALT tests, or TBD?
None planned, next stop space! 8)

In any other industry, they would be laughed out of the room for declaring success after just one successful test...

Two successful tests, not one.

And didn't SpaceX do just one drop test of cargo Dragon?  I can't find another one.



Offline Lars-J

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So no more ALT tests, or TBD?
None planned, next stop space! 8)

In any other industry, they would be laughed out of the room for declaring success after just one successful test...

Two successful tests, not one.

And didn't SpaceX do just one drop test of cargo Dragon?  I can't find another one.

I think you are correct (for Cargo Dragon), but I did't say SpaceX was better in this particular instance, did I?  :) It was just a general observation.

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