posted 10-26-2013 07:03 PM               

Statement from Sierra Nevada Corporation Regarding Dream Chaser Free-Flight Test

Today (Oct. 26), Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) performed its first free-flight approach-and-landing test of the Dream Chaser spacecraft.

The vehicle successfully released from its carrier aircraft, an Erickson Air-Crane helicopter, as planned at approximately 11:10 a.m. PDT. Following release, the Dream Chaser spacecraft automated flight control system gently steered the vehicle to its intended glide slope.

The vehicle adhered to the design flight trajectory throughout the flight profile. Less than a minute later, Dream Chaser smoothly flared and touched down on Edwards Air Force Base's Runway 22L right on centerline.

While there was an anomaly with the left landing gear deployment, the high-quality flight and telemetry data throughout all phases of the approach-and-landing test will allow SNC teams to continue to refine their spacecraft design.

SNC and NASA Dryden are currently reviewing the data.

As with any space flight test program, there will be anomalies that we can learn from, allowing us to improve our vehicle and accelerate our rate of progress.

posted 10-26-2013 07:05 PM               

Dream Chaser Update

During today's free-flight approach-and-landing test of Sierra Nevada Corporation's Dream Chaser spacecraft, the vehicle experienced an anomaly as it touched down on the Runway 22L at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

No personnel were injured. Damage to property is being assessed. Edwards Air Force Base emergency personnel responded to scene as a precaution. Support personnel are preparing the vehicle for transport to a hangar.

Sierra Nevada Corporation engineers, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and U.S. Air Force representatives are looking into the anomaly that occurred.

posted 10-29-2013 12:30 PM               

Dream Chaser space plane soars through first drop test, skids off runway

A prototype for a commercial space plane designed to taxi astronauts to Earth orbit and back performed its first drop test Saturday (Oct. 26), gliding to a successful touchdown, but immediately suffering damage due to a landing gear problem that caused the unmanned mini-space shuttle to skid off the runway, its builder said on Tuesday.

The Dream Chaser winged shuttlecraft, built by Colorado-based Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC), carried out its first-ever autonomous approach and landing test over the weekend at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California. As the engineering test article touched down on the same runway once used by the space shuttle, the vehicle encountered an issue deploying its left-side landing gear.