Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Credit: SNC

NASA made a major Space Station cargo transport announcement today selecting the Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) reusable Dream Chaser spacecraft, along with capsules provided by Orbital ATK and SpaceX.

NASA awarded the three cargo contracts to ensure the critical science, research and technology demonstrations that are informing the agency’s journey to Mars are delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) from 2019 through 2024.

The agency unveiled its selection of Orbital ATK of Dulles, Virginia; Sierra Nevada Corporation of Sparks, Nevada; and SpaceX of Hawthorne, California to continue building on the initial resupply partnerships with two American companies.

These Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) contracts are designed to obtain cargo delivery services to the space station, disposal of unneeded cargo, and the return of research samples and other cargo from the station back to NASA.

Lifting-body

Dream Chaser is a multi-mission, commercial, lifting-body vehicle capable of transportation services to low-Earth orbit (LEO) destinations, including the International Space Station (ISS).

SNC has developed one common Dream Chaser spacecraft airframe, which is dubbed their Space Utility Vehicle (SUV) due to its mission flexibility.

There are currently two Dream Chaser variants optimized specifically for either uncrewed or crewed missions, known as the Dream Chaser Cargo System and Dream Chaser Space System, respectively.

Credit: NASA

According to SNC, additional variants may be developed for future mission needs.

The announcement regarding CRS-2 was made today during a news conference from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Space Subcommittee Chairman Brian Babin (R-Texas) released the following statement today after NASA announced awardees for the next phase of the Commercial Cargo program.

“Congratulations to SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Sierra Nevada on their awards for the next round of Commercial Cargo Resupply Contracts, which also supports our human spaceflight program. These companies and the thousands they employ have a crucial task before them as they supply the International Space Station.”

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