Dream Chaser Tenacity's 2023 Launch Update Absolutely Thrilled NASA!

When NASA retired the space shuttle in 2011, the average person's last hope of entering the cosmos was seemingly extinguished along with it. Sure, one's chances of getting onto a shuttle were always slim, but people from many walks of life had been selected for space missions over the years, including Sunita Williams, the first marathon runner in space, Eileen Collins, the first woman to serve as mission commander, and Guillaume Bluford, the first African-American in space. But ever since spacefaring vessels started spending more time in museums and less time in the cosmos, it's been hard to reimagine humankind's place beyond the domain of Earth. Still, space programs in other nations continued to take off, literally, over the years, and in combination with the efforts of semi-private companies like SpaceX, American astronauts found their way to orbital locales like the ISS. But a massive symbolic gulf, or rift if you will, remains between the joy of a toy spaceship zooming in a child's hand and the need to hitch a ride on someone's rocket. Beginning with its Dream Chaser spaceplane, scheduled for use in NASA operations starting in 2023, privately funded Sierra Space intends to renew and, more importantly, re-inspire public trust and enthusiasm in celestial exploration. Scheduled for launch via the brand new Vulcan Centaur rocket, the Dream Chaser is the world's only winged commercial spaceplane. It represents the start of an entirely new era of space transportation, unleashing an unprecedented commercial space economy. And in truth, the Dream Chaser spaceplane is derived from a long dead NASA concept vehicle from the early 90s. One designed to supplement missions in between space shuttle launches. When it became clear there was no way NASA could afford to launch it 100 times as intended, the HL-20 personnel launch system was created to help. Immediately, the similarities between Sierra Space's and NASA's designs are plain to see. With dimensions of 29 feet or 8.8 meters long and a wingspan of 23.5 feet or 7.2 meters compared to Dream Chaser's 30 foot 9 meter length and 23 foot 7 meter wingspan, the space shuttle easily dwarfs both. But don't start doubting Dream Chaser's hauling abilities just yet. Its size is actually its most important attribute. Whereas the single space shuttle launch was a 1.6 billion dollar investment, a smaller spaceplane roughly a quarter of the shuttle's size is thought to cost at least a quarter what a large spaceplane would. Indeed, the space shuttle could carry as much as 65,000 pounds or 9,000 kilograms of cargo into LEO. But in a time where Delta IVs, Ariane 5s, Falcon Heavies do a lovely job of launching probes and satellites, there simply isn't as much of a need for a proverbial space pickup truck as the space shuttle ultimately became. The Dream Chaser's more modest payload capacity of 12,000 pounds or 5,500 kilograms or 5.5 tons might not be nearly as impressive. But unlike the space shuttle, Sierra Space's prized spaceplane is designed to fly as a fleet of more than a measly six. Already, a founding group of three Dream Chaser orbiters is nearing completion with several more undoubtedly on the way should the first cargo and manned missions go smoothly. And the Dream Chaser is slated for its first official NASA mission in 2023. Loaded atop a Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle, the reusable spaceplane will demonstrate its ability to reach the ISS bearing a full payload of cargo weighing 12,000 pounds. Offering a smooth 1.5G re-entry experience, NASA has booked the next generation Dream Chaser for multiple future missions, with regular government launches expected from there on out. Under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services II contract, Dream Chaser will provide a minimum of seven cargo service missions to and from the space station. As the Dream Chaser begins regular missions, it's sure to be in hot demand as its capabilities and flexibility for other missions become apparent. What's more, Dream Chaser was originally designed as a crewed spaceplane, in part under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, capable of carrying up to seven astronauts to and from the space station and other low-Earth orbit destinations. That means the Dream Chaser spaceplane is a versatile, multi-capability vehicle that can support a variety of LEO needs. But of course, the Dream Chaser won't purely be serving our government. Sierra Space intends for it to carry anyone into space with plans to visit existing destinations like the ISS or planned orbital habitats like the Orbital Reef, a partnership between Sierra Space and Blue Origin. Composed of interconnected, large integrated flexible environment modules, transported into space attached to the Dream Chaser and inflated in orbit, Orbital Reef will provide spacious accommodations for research, business, and other purposes. Hey, check it out, the acronym spells out life. What a coincidence. One day, humanity may be liberated from the need of spaceplanes by glorious, towering space elevators or other far-out means of escaping Earth's gravity. That, for now, remains the stuff of science fiction. In the meantime, Sierra Space's Dream Chaser is enabling a host of space re-entry efforts that are sure to make space exploration more of a reality and science fact once again. Capable of landing on any suitable runway worldwide, the Dream Chaser can drop off entrepreneurs, researchers, diplomats, and other voyagers into the realm beyond Earth, back on terra firma at any desired location on the planet's surface. Even better, within months, Sierra Space's first Dream Chaser named DZ-1, Tenacity, will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center carrying cargo and later crew into the beyond, using nothing more than the private sector ingenuity that originally gave wings to Satisfying the imagination of the child inside every adult who has nurtured a love-of-all-things space for years, the Dream Chaser looks like many of the space shuttle designs we all know and love, only updated, sleeker, smaller, more modernized. It's easy to imagine Sierra Space's new reusable spaceplane ferrying the next generation of explorers to the stars. Indeed, the power of private sector ingenuity will provide 21st century space travelers safe, long-term environments in the form of inflatable life habitats. Whether they're staying in low-Earth orbit or venturing onto the Moon or Mars, Sierra Space has generated key technologies to keep the next generation of discoverers surprisingly comfortable in far-flung locations beyond our planet's atmosphere. So, when an unexpected retreat from the space domain deflated the aspirations of so many adventuring spirits, the power of innovation struck back in the form of brand new technologies, making it easier and more rewarding to escape Earth's gravity than ever before. Kept stagnant for far too long by impediments that are now evaporating, Sierra Space is reigniting the vibrancy of space exploration. With amazing advancements to come, thanks to space becoming an environment to live and work, it is a promising future of improving life on Earth in so many ways. Thank you so much for watching, and if you enjoy what my team and I are doing, you can become a patron through our Patreon link in the description below. Otherwise, as always, this is Kevin with Bright SpaceX, and my team and I will see you next time.