SNC, German Partners Complete Dream Chaser Utilization Study
Dream Chaser landing at Ellington Field. (Cedit: SNC)
SPARKS, Nev., Feb. 3, 2015 (SNC PR) – Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Space Systems and OHB System AG (OHB) announce the completion of the initial Dream Chaser® for European Utilization (DC4EU) study co-funded by the Space Administration of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and OHB. OHB and DLR are both based in Germany.
As announced by the companies in late 2013, SNC and OHB entered into an agreement to study the feasibility of using SNC’s Dream Chaser spacecraft for a variety of missions. The DC4EU study thoroughly reviewed applications for the Dream Chaser including crewed and uncrewed flights to low-Earth orbit (LEO) for missions such as microgravity science, satellite servicing and active debris removal (ADR).
“The inherent design advantages of the Dream Chaser reusable lifting body spacecraft make it an ideal vehicle for a broad range of space applications,” said Dr. Fritz Merkle, member of the Executive Management Board of OHB AG. “We partnered with SNC to study how the design of the Dream Chaser can be used to advance European interests in space. The study results confirm the viability of using the spacecraft for microgravity science and ADR. DC4EU can benefit the entire international space community with its unique capabilities. We look forward to further maturing our design with SNC as we expand our partnership.”
In addition to the study, OHB supported SNC as an exhibitor at the American Society for Gravitational Space Research Conference in late October. During the conference, SNC presented the Dream Chaser spacecraft microgravity research capability for the first time including the debut of a full scale mock-up of the Dream Chaser for Science mission variant.
The DC4EU study is SNC’s first contracted international effort to explore the broad capabilities of the Dream Chaser vehicle.
“We highly value our partnership with the German Aerospace Center and industry teammates, we see this study as the first step towards achieving broad scientific and servicing applications for international missions,” said Dr. John Olson, vice president of Space Exploration Systems for SNC’s Space Systems. “SNC is currently working with OHB on the next phase of our ongoing DC4EU collaboration together with DLR and will be announcing further details in the near future.
SNC’s Dream Chaser is a multi-mission-capable space utility vehicle that is able to flexibly operate as an independent science platform, logistics enabler, or orbital servicing vehicle with the ability to deploy, retrieve, repair, replace, refuel, or assemble items in space. Dream Chaser provides the only reusable, human-rated, lifting-body spacecraft with a commercial runway landing capability, anywhere in the world – offering safe, affordable, flexible and reliable transportation to space.
About OHB System AG
The systems specialist OHB System AG is one of the leading independent forces in European space. We have been making a name for ourselves on the market with our creative and business approach for a good 33 years particularly in our core business comprising low-orbiting and geostationary satellites. We are developing and executing some of the key projects of our times such as the Galileo FOC navigation satellites, In manned space flight, we are working intensively on humanity’s most remote outpost, the International Space Station ISS. We were materially involved in assembling and equipping the Columbus research laboratory fitted to the ISS and the ATV space freighter as well as numerous experiment systems used on board the ISS.
About Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Space Systems
Sierra Nevada Corporation’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’s Space Systems has more than 25 years of space heritage and has participated in over 400 successful space missions through the delivery of over 4,000 systems, subsystems and components. During its history, SNC’s Space Systems has concluded over 70 programs for NASA and over 50 other clients. For more information about SNC’s Space Systems visit www.sncspace.com and follow us at Facebook.com/SNCSpaceSystems and Twitter @SNCspacesystems.
About Sierra Nevada Corporation
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, is among the “World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space.” Over the last 30 years, under the leadership of President Eren Ozmen and CEO Fatih Ozmen, SNC has become one of America’s fastest-growing private companies and the Top Woman-Owned Federal Contractor in the United States. With a workforce of over 3,000 personnel in 31 locations in 17 states, SNC has a reputation for rapid, innovative, and agile technology solutions in electronics, aerospace, avionics, space, propulsion, micro-satellite, aircraft, communications systems and solar energy.
SNC has six unique business areas that are dedicated to providing leading-edge solutions to its dynamic customer base. SNC has a proven track record of success spanning more than five decades. It is focused on providing its customers with the very best in diversified technologies and continues to focus its growth on the commercial sector through internal advancements in dual-use applications and outside acquisitions including the emerging markets of renewable energy, telemedicine, nanotechnology, cyber and net-centric operations.
For more information on SNC visit www.sncorp.com and follow us at Facebook/Sierra Nevada Corporation. Sierra Nevada Corporation and SNC are trademarks of Sierra Nevada Corporation.
31 responses to “SNC, German Partners Complete Dream Chaser Utilization Study”
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If NASA has focused on the Old school/Hip school folks and let SNC bide their time… why shouldn’t DC get hitched with the Europeans… Can it fit the Ariane rockets? They are mating with Stratolaunch so, I say, go for it. Veritical and Horizontal intergration across many companys and aliances it only good for all in my book.
And our wonderful Con-mess has sorta tied the hands of NASA with its parsimony and Pork for home districts focus… Love the irony of a freaken left coast liberal squeeking for open capitalist market in space….
There’s not enough human traffic from the US side to sustain one or two crew launch companies to the ISS.
The key to greatly expanding the flight rate of Commercial Crew vehicles is to promote the deployment of– private commercial space stations– not the continuation of government space stations.
Marcel
Your comment seems quite unrelated to the news item.
US space traffic is irrelevant to the case of Dream Chaser being bought/leased by European entities (be those commercial or governmental is equally unimportant), as is the ISS as a destination.
There are really only 2 relevant questions here:
1) Has anybody in Europe the will and money to finance DC missions.
2) ITAR
Itar should not be a big deal on this. Basically, the tech will not be shared/sent to China, etc.
And we saw what happened when Germany sold a small transrapid track to China for next to nothing.
Money from Europe is a different matter. They will want SNC to put as much European equipment in there. That might be an issue getting the money sustained.
Whats ITAR?
International Tracking in Arms Regulations
https://www.pmddtc.state.go…
It’s a very big deal with massive regulatory hurdles to overcome and huge fines for violations. Transfers of space technology fall under ITAR restrictions.
Thnakyou!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik…
basically under ITAR many (most?) space related developments are categorized as potential weapons.
The regulations are so absurd, that (as Dave Masten has pointed out in an interview in “TMRO” Episode 8.03) US companies have to buy GPS equipment from foreign companies, because there are no US providers, because they would not be allowed to sell internationally, only within the US.
lol.
I never heard about the GPS issue. Indeed, that is bizarre.
I do not think that ITAR will be that big of a deal with DC and ArianeSpace. They already handle loads of ITAR related commercial crafts. And DC will be done as a single unit, as opposed to parting it out. For all intents and purposes, this is no different than AS putting up a sat for say Dish.
DC will not be done as a single unit-it doesn’t work that way. Every single piece of DC will be scrutinized for ITAR applications/violations. To those who are unfamiliar with ITAR regs or who do not work in the defense biz it does seem absurd–but there is a method to the ITAR madness.
i have dealt with ITAR (the stuff that I worked with could only go to UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand; so a bit different from all of Europe, but not much).
And yes, ITAR will look over DC for issues. However, in the end, we will still allow it to be launched in Europe just as we allow commercial sats to be launched that also have ITAR related items.
Wow this press release is a lot of fluff. Dead end study.
Can we use Dream Chaser for something?
Yes.
Do we have the $2 billion or so needed to finish develop and flight test it?
No.
Do we have sufficient business to sustain a profitable flight rate?
No.
Doesn’t seem to have much of a future unless something changes. I’m hoping it will, but I’m not optimistic at this point.
I have to agree.
All this marketing speech amounts to nothing in the end, if nobody is willing to pay the checks.
But I have to chuckle every time when they promote DC as a “satellite service platform”… when it is no more capable at doing so than is Dragon/CST-100/Orion… without some kind of external attached module neither of those vehicles is particularly suited for that task, and in case of DC – because of it’s propulsion system – that module can’t even be attached during launch, even when the launcher would have the required mass/volume capability…
I would really like to see DC as a quick turnaround mini shuttle for personnel transport, but I’m afraid the odds of that happening are pretty low.
Actually DC would be good for that if the limit the crew to 2 and turn the rest of the craft into a small bay with grapple arm. You wouldn’t need an external module then.
while that would be possible in theory, I guess such a modification would lead to structural changes that can’t be ignored. They would pretty much have to start from scratch with the structural integrity modeling/testing.
That’s probably the best idea yet. We really have no use for another “space taxi,” but a vehicle that can lift/return small to medium-sized satellites or cargo or carry a crew of 2 or 3 up to do on-orbit satellite repair or refurbishment could find a niche. I think “private space” will really flourish when we build different types of manned spacecraft for different jobs and get away from the “one size fits all” thinking that currently describes manned spacecraft.
As Marcel said, we need multiple destinations.
However, there is another opportunity for DC: cargo .
NASA might be willing to let them land a contract to iss replacing osc.
Never going to happen!
I am guessing that you mean that SNC will not replace OSC.
Why are you so certain of that?
As it is, NASA has spent a load of money on getting DC up to speed. With taking over OSC’s cargo run, SNC can afford to finish DC on their own.
No, I mean DC will never be hauling cargo to the ISS. DC is not even a viable vehicle at this point, DC is not a cargo hauler at all, DC would have to be completely redesigned, built, tested and flown before it could ever be considered, DC has NO money for any of this, DC has no investors interested in cargo ops. Why would you think NASA would provide funding for a 3rd transport vehicle? I am willing to bet DC never flies again.
????
What are you talking about.
DC was designed from the gitgo for for going to the ISS, and it is not suborbital.
SNC DOES have money to finish it out, assuming that they can land contracts.
You are correct I am wrong–DC was planned for ISS trips–I am mixing up my vehicles.
but the assumption of landing contracts will not allow production to move forward. SNC saying they could afford to finish DC is more of an appeasement for the stockholders–time will tell if it gets finished–but I doubt it will happen.
I hope they prove me wrong because I like it too!
According to some of those from SNC that I have talked to, if SNC lands something like cargo contract, they can and will finish it up to that point. Keep in mind, that DC is close enough now, that it would take a couple of hundred million to get it to cargo level.
It is manned rating that will be expensive. But, like spacex, having cargo runs, gets the primary systems, along with launches,. going.
And SNC has way more revenue coming in than does spacex.
I get a feeling that ESA or the Germans want to snag it a low price. They are apparently interested in lifting bodies, like the IXV shows.
So, another study is completed regarding the supposed benefits of the Dream Chaser sub orbital launch system that is light years away from being fully operational.
Good luck in Germany boys and good luck with the ITAR paperwork!
Look where it is landing. Same place Shotwell mentioned. I wonder if SNC still has the Atlas they booked. They said they owned it.
Even with funding and customers, can SNC even deliver on this thing?
if it has customers that can give it the required ~$2 billion it needs in development funding, why not?
I don’t follow SNC enough to know if they have the technical capability to actually deliver the DC, reliably. That was my question.
that is a different problem, true. my feeling is that if they can get the money to complete the necessary development work, then they probably can deliver it to any customer. the problem is it does need quite a bit more work for that to happen.