SPARKS, Nev., August 18, 2017 –
Fatih and Eren Ozmen, CEO and President of Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), welcomed Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Simonetta Di Pippo to SNC’s headquarters on Tuesday to advance their agreement to use SNC’s Dream Chaser® spacecraft.
In June 2016, UNOOSA and SNC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on this historic United Nations space mission. The first-ever United Nations space mission is intended to launch as early as 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.
“Fatih and I are excited to welcome Ms. Di Pippo of the United Nations to SNC's headquarters,” said SNC President Eren Ozmen. “We are so proud that we are now talking about using SNC's private mini-space shuttle, the Dream Chaser, for developing countries around the world to have a chance to access space to promote exploration, STEM education, and the advancement of mankind. America is recognized for its groundbreaking leadership in space and we are looking forward to working with the United Nations to benefit future generations in nations around the world.”
"Sierra Nevada Corporation is a valued partner of UNOOSA,” said Ms. Di Pippo. “It was exciting to meet with SNC this week to discuss the next steps in our partnership to give developing countries access to the Dream Chaser spacecraft for space science experiments related to the Sustainable Development Goals. This visit was also part of UNOOSA's wider efforts to increase our engagement with the private sector to help give all countries access to space.”
The Dream Chaser is currently undergoing testing at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. The first mission to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS2) contract with NASA is being planned for 2020.
About SNC
SNC is a trusted global leader in aerospace and national security. Our innovative solutions enable connected protection through command, control and communications systems, as well as ISR, cyber, electromagnetic spectrum management, and other high capabilities for national security systems across all domains – sea, land, air, space and cyber. As a longstanding leader in defense technology, SNC is at the optimum intersection of commercial, defense and non-traditional contractors. We are one of the only privately owned mid-tier A&D contractors and we pride ourselves on our ability to invest early and often to ensure mission success on or ahead of schedule. It's part of our mission to always stay one step ahead; working on solutions today to solve the problems of tomorrow. Founded in 1963, SNC is owned by Chairwoman Eren Ozmen and CEO Fatih Ozmen.