SPARKS, Nev. , November 14, 2013 – Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has successfully completed three captive carry flight tests of the Dream Chaser® spacecraft to date under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Discovery Channel Canada has documented a rare, behind the scenes look at the systematic approach SNC’s Dream Chaser team performed during one such flight test.
Discovery Channel Canada’s Daily Planet filmed pre-flight and flight operations showing the SNC Dream Chaser team at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center during a recent captive carry flight test. The broadcast, which includes segments of the Dream Chaser spacecraft in flight and interviews with the team, aired on November 13, 2013 and can be viewed here.
The first captive carry test of SNC’s Dream Chaser spacecraft was completed at Rocky Mountain National Airport in Boulder County, Colo., in May 2012. The second and third captive carry tests were completed at Dryden in Edwards, Calif., on August 22 and October 23, 2013. All three tests validated the Dream Chaser spacecraft software and hardware systems and subsystems. Each of the test flights increased in complexity.
SNC is funded under NASA’s Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative to develop a next-generation crew transportation vehicle and is the only reusable, lifting body spacecraft with commercial runway landing capability anywhere in the world. The Dream Chaser spacecraft is on the forefront of the commercial human spaceflight industry, offering safe, reliable and cost-effective crew and critical cargo transportation to low-Earth orbit.
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.