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SNC’s Dream Chaser Nears Drop Tests at NASA Armstrong

By Doug Messier
Parabolic Arc
July 17, 2017
Filed under , ,

SNC is getting chatty about Dream Chaser as they near drop tests at NASA Armstrong. They had the vehicle moving down the runway today.

18 responses to “SNC’s Dream Chaser Nears Drop Tests at NASA Armstrong”

  1. Terry Rawnsley says:
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    Just remember to keep the shiny side up this time.

  2. therealdmt says:
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    Gotta say, that’s a badass lookin’ ship. Man, I’d love to fly that thing

    Good luck, DreamChaser!

    Those guys really blew it last time, but hopefully they can take advantage of this second chance they’ve been given and one day leverage it into a human-carrying ship

    • Vladislaw says:
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      No really blowing it is when your rocket explodes on the pad. A landing gear failure is pretty commonplace event.

      • Jeff Smith says:
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        I don’t think they blew it either. SNC is a smaller company that is new to the space game (Jim Benson/SpaceDev not withstanding). SNC people I’ve talked say that it’s just a newer group that is taking on the biggest possible of tasks and having to grow to tackle.

        • Vladislaw says:
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          Agree… it was a test vehicle not an operational vehicle.. musk’s own words are test and fly .. if you do not have accidents you are not pushing hard enough…

  3. Mr Snarky Answer says:
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    “NASA Armstrong” geez is anything sacred…It’s always going to be Dryden to me.

    • duheagle says:
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      Agreed. Plenty of other things to name after The Immortal Neil. I don’t think he’d have been in favor of this name change either if he was still around. Thus far, I think the best Armstrong tribute in prospect is Blue Origin’s second planned giant rocket. NASA’s going to have to go some to beat that.

  4. Andrew Tubbiolo says:
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    I’d love to see a real history of lifting body development cycles. The US picks them up then drops them in the late 60’s and early 70’s. The USSR then picks them up and flies BOR. Then drops them. Then the ESA/France picks them up with Hermes, but at least gets the Ariane V from it, but drop Hermes. Then NASA picks it up again with HL-20, which was a part of the 20 year cycle of actively funding a series of non-shuttle replacement. Then we finally get X-37 which flies. Now HL-20 lives again with Dreamchaser. As the baton passed from the US to the USSR, to France, and then back to the US, I’d love to see how much clandestine intelligence gathering kept the promise of lifting bodies alive?

    • duheagle says:
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      Like the Jews after leaving Egypt – wandering in the desert for 40 years.

    • redneck says:
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      I’ve only read one book on lifting bodies by Milt Thompson. My impression was that lifting bodies are a sexy idea with mass efficiency problems The body shape is less mass efficient than a cylinder and the required aero surfaces for control approach wings in size when the final versions fly.

  5. Bulldog says:
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    Outstanding! Well done on the preparations SNC and good luck with the drop test. Looking forward to a successful flight and some great video. I hope that a customer emerges for this crewed version.

  6. disqus_bramcan says:
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    Now that’s what you call a spaceship!

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