NASA's Commercial Crew Partner Sierra Nevada Delivers Flight Test Vehicle Structure

[KSC News Center <ksc@mediaservices.nasa.gov>]

Feb. 2, 2012

Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov

Cassie Kloberdanz
Sierra Nevada Corp.
720-407-3192
media.ssg@sncorp.com

RELEASE: 12-XXX

NASA'S COMMERCIAL CREW PARTNER SIERRA NEVADA DELIVERS FLIGHT TEST VEHICLE STRUCTURE

LOUISVILLE, Colo. -- One of NASA's industry partners, Sierra Nevada 
Corp. (SNC), recently delivered the primary structure of its first 
Dream Chaser flight test vehicle to the company's facility in 
Louisville, Colo., where it will be assembled and integrated with 
secondary systems. This is one of 12 milestones to be completed under 
SNC's funded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA's Commercial Crew 
Program (CCP).

"It's rewarding to see our partner's ideas and concepts come to 
fruition," said CCP Program Manager Ed Mango. "The company's delivery 
of its flight structure will allow them to make more strides toward 
launching NASA astronauts on American vehicles to the International 
Space Station."

The Dream Chaser flight test vehicle, a full-scale prototype of the 
company's planned winged spacecraft, will be used to carry out 
several remaining NASA Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) 
milestones, including a captive carry flight and the first free 
flight of the craft.

"SNC is proud to have met its schedule and cost targets in the 
delivery of our first flight structure as we continue to make 
preparations for our vehicle's first full-scale flight," said Mark 
Sirangelo, head of Sierra Nevada Space Systems. "The Dream Chaser 
Program is making great strides toward developing a safe and 
cost-effective space system that will provide our country with the 
capability to safely transport crew and critical cargo to and from 
the International Space Station."

The all-composite structure was designed by the SNC team and built in 
conjunction with SNC Dream Chaser team organizations AdamWorks of 
Centennial, Colo., Applied Composite Technology of Gunnison, Utah, 
and Scaled Composites of Mojave, Calif.

"Our team now includes more than a dozen heritage space companies and 
seven NASA centers whose combined strength has continued to allow us 
to exceed the program's expectations," said Jim Voss, SNC's vice 
president for Space Exploration. Voss is a former space shuttle 
astronaut and was a member of the second crew to live aboard the 
International Space Station.

Dream Chaser's CCDev2 flight tests will be conducted with the 
assistance of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, 
Calif., under a Reimbursable Space Act Agreement (RSAA). During the 
captive carry test, a Virgin Galactic While Knight 2 carrier aircraft 
will drop the Dream Chaser flight test vehicle to measure its 
performance. SNC flight operations will be managed by the program's 
Director of Flight Operations Steve Lindsey, who joined the Dream 
Chaser team in 2011. Lindsey is a veteran of five shuttle missions 
and was chief of NASA's Astronaut Office from 2008 until his 
retirement from the agency in 2011.

All of NASA's industry partners continue to meet their established 
milestones in developing commercial crew transportation capabilities 
that will ferry U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space 
Station, reducing the amount of time America is without its own 
system.

For more information about NASA's Commercial Crew Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew 

	
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