The Pentagon wants a military transport modification of the Dream Chaser spaceplane

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The Pentagon wants a military transport modification of the Dream Chaser spaceplane
Experienced Dream Chaser on trials


The American company Sierra Space continues to develop the promising reusable spacecraft Dream Chaser and several of its modifications for various purposes. Recently it became known that the Pentagon is interested in this project and is ready to help with the creation of a military transport version of the spaceplane. If such a project is successful, the US military will receive a fundamentally new means of logistics.



New agreements


Sierra Space of the Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) originally developed the Dream Chaser project with an eye to the commercial launch market. For this, it was planned to create a passenger and cargo modification of the spaceplane. The latter can be supplemented with a specially designed cargo module.

In November 2021, the company announced new plans to build a spacecraft for "national security" use. It was reported that this project will be developed on its own initiative and with the financial and organizational support of several other companies. At that time, it was possible to find funding in the amount of $ 1,4 billion. In total, the new project required approx. 4,5 billion until 2024 inclusive.

At the same time, the details of the project itself were not reported at that time. Sierra Space did not say which department the new spaceplane is intended for, how it will differ from the basic modification, and what tasks it will be able to solve. In addition, it was not clear whether such a project was needed by any customer, and whether it had real prospects.


The situation has become clear only recently. On September 8, Sierra Space announced the start of a partnership with the US Armed Forces Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM). An agreement was signed on joint research and development work on the topic of cargo and passenger transportation in the atmosphere and space.

Together, Sierra Space and USTRANSCOM plan to explore the military implications of the Dream Chaser system, the Shooting Star cargo module, and related infrastructure. If they show the necessary potential, they will be finalized for use in the interests of the armed forces.

Reusable spaceplanes can become a fundamentally new means for the transfer of military cargo and personnel over long distances. They will complement existing air, land and water transport and provide solutions to specific logistical challenges. In addition, there will be a scientific and technological base for the further development of such transportation.

Existing project


The existing Dream Chaser complex is proposed as the basis for a promising military space transport system. This project has been developed since the mid-XNUMXs by Sierra Space / SNC with the participation of several other organizations. So far, the new spaceplane is at the stage of flight tests in the atmosphere and design development. The first flight into space has been repeatedly postponed, and now it is going to be held next year.


The Dream Chaser project in its current form provides for the creation of a system based on a suitable type of launch vehicle and a reusable spaceplane. The rocket is supposed to launch the spacecraft into low earth orbit, after which it can perform the necessary maneuvering and solve the assigned tasks. The spacecraft must return to Earth along a ballistic trajectory with a subsequent transition to level flight. Landing should be carried out "in an airplane" at the airfield.

The Dream Chaser spaceplane is an aircraft built according to the "carrying fuselage" scheme. He received a streamlined fuselage of special contours with a triangular flat bottom, which is responsible for creating lift and / or braking during descent. A wing with a large transverse V angle is also used. The outer surface of the airframe is covered with heat-shielding ceramic tiles.

The total length of the ship is 9 m with a wing span of 7 m. The cargo version of the spaceplane will have a folding wing, due to which the diameter will decrease to 5 m. The launch weight of the Dream Chaser exceeds 11,3 tons.

Inside the spaceplane there are passenger and cargo compartments with a total volume of approx. 16 cubic meters In the passenger version, the ship will carry from 3 to 7 people. and some cargo. The cargo version will be able to launch up to 5,5 tons of cargo into orbit. Of these, 5 tons will be placed in a sealed compartment. When returning, there will be up to 1,85 tons of cargo on board the ship. Another 3,4 tons can be dumped; this cargo will burn up in the atmosphere.

Since 2019, an additional cargo module Shooting Star has been developed. It is a large volume 4,6 m long hinged compartment with sealed and non-pressurized compartments. The carrying capacity of such a module will be 4,5 tons. It is also planned to place solar panels and some other equipment, docking devices for working with the ISS or other stations, etc. on it. The possibility of autonomous use of Shooting Star as a cargo ship is also being worked out.


Landing after first atmospheric flight, 2017

Expedited shipping


The Dream Chaser system is being developed as a simple and inexpensive means of providing orbital activity. However, the Pentagon has found a new use for it. They want to make the spaceplane a means of global logistics, capable of quickly transporting people and cargo over long distances.

To solve such problems, it is proposed to use the so-called. partially orbital flight profiles. In this case, the spaceplane must take off in a regular manner and enter the calculated low orbit. It must pass over the destination; it is also possible to launch into other orbits with subsequent access to the required one. Moving in orbit, the ship will enter a given area, where it will enter the atmosphere, descend and land at the designated airfield. Full orbits around the planet will not be required in most cases.

This flight profile has obvious advantages. Takeoff and landing are carried out by regular methods and should not cause difficulties. Moving in orbit, the spaceplane will be able to develop high speed and at the same time practically not consume fuel. Due to this, it will be possible to obtain a global range, and a flight to anywhere in the world will take only a few hours.

However, there are also objective limitations. So, in its current form, the Dream Chaser spaceplane can take in flight and return to the ground only 1,85 tons in a cabin of limited dimensions. Such a carrying capacity is only enough to transport people or some small loads. The transfer of the main types of weapons or equipment is simply excluded. The Shooting Star cargo module has similar features.


However, even in this form, the ship and the module have military prospects. They can be used to quickly transfer small units with equipment to the place of performance of tasks. Such capabilities of the system should be of interest to the Special Operations Forces and some other structures.

It will not be possible to get rid of restrictions on size and weight or mitigate them within the framework of the current project. To do this, you need to develop a completely new spaceplane and related products. Judging by the observed progress and pace of the Dream Chaser project, this can be a long and not entirely successful process. Even the support of the Pentagon does not guarantee that all the desired results will be obtained within a reasonable time frame.

If it is decided to develop a new space system with improved performance, then the current project will become a source of ideas and solutions. In addition, in the course of future flight tests, operating experience will have to be gained, which will also be taken into account in the new project. This means that the Dream Chaser, for all its problems and limitations, is still of great interest to the military.

Plans for the future


Thus, the Pentagon, represented by the Transport Command, plans to master fundamentally new means and methods of global logistics. This time he drew attention to a promising reusable space system capable of carrying cargo through outer space. Such a principle of transportation has great advantages and is capable of influencing army logistics in the most serious way, at least in its individual directions.

Future progress in this area directly depends on the progress of the current Dream Chaser project. He regularly encounters various difficulties and has not yet given all the desired results. Perhaps the support of the military department will have a positive impact on the progress of work and speed up their completion. However, the success of the current project and future developments is not yet guaranteed.
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  1. +10
    7 October 2022 16: 12
    you look at this Amerovsky and immediately remember the project "Spiral" ch. designer Lozino-Lozinsky. Ours buried him, and the states took advantage of everything that was sold in the 90s
    1. +9
      7 October 2022 16: 22
      The developers left for the bright world, the idea was submitted, and now the Americans are implementing it. It’s a pity, of course, the Spiral is a trailblazer of its kind, but enemies use it ((
      1. +1
        7 October 2022 18: 19
        Americans have a saying:
        "If you're so smart, why so poor?"
        And yes, the Americans are not our enemies,
        we would have felt it right away, believe me.
        They (USA) do not take us seriously yet.
        We, God forbid, deal with the British,
        rather with their proxy.
        And the US... Just doing business.
        1. +5
          7 October 2022 18: 30
          why are you afraid to believe that the Americans are not our enemies, this is now fully manifested in all its glory, in what timelessness you are stuck, look around
          1. +2
            7 October 2022 18: 35
            (yawning) joint business with the enemy? (I'm not talking about space)
            Then yes, enemies probably. War and all.
        2. +2
          7 October 2022 18: 37
          The cannibal also thinks all the time why everyone hates him so much and wants to destroy him, he, like everyone else, must eat at least three times a day.
        3. +2
          7 October 2022 19: 49
          this proverb was invented by rich idiots, and by the way, the richer a person is, the more stupid he is, as a rule, why? yes, because wealth can be for two main reasons, the first is receiving an inheritance, if the parents did not make efforts to get the education of the child, then he will not have any incentive to develop himself, he is already rich, why waste time on useless education and self-development when you can immerse yourself in the world of entertainment, the second is that he achieved wealth himself, which means he was concentrated on this goal, worked hard for the result, establishing connections, etc., there was no time to engage in self-development, because intelligence is primarily a broad outlook, understanding far things from each other, businessmen, it's just a pity for time ....
          1. -2
            10 October 2022 16: 01
            Well, do you consider yourself rich or smart?
        4. PPD
          -3
          9 October 2022 09: 19
          Americans have a saying:
          "If you're so smart, why so poor?"

          Sir, are you American?
          And most likely rich, because if you asked even a little bit, you would know that the phrase sounds different.
          The author of this dope is Warren Buffett and it sounds like this - "If you are all so smart, then why am I rich?"
          Feel the difference?
          What kind of character was look for yourself, think ... better with your head. laughing
          If you suddenly stop, ask for help in resolving problems to your favorite Americans, for example, to Carnegie. It will help you solve life's problems. True, he himself hanged himself, but that's trifles. Do not pay attention.
          The whim of a psychologist. wassat
          Americans are not our enemies,

          Protect their views on Russia yourself, or is help needed here too????
          (yawning) joint....

          Don't yawn - go to sleep better ...
          1. +3
            9 October 2022 10: 17
            The transition to personalities does not make sense, but culture is such a thing ...
            Okay, let's start again and in order.
            1. I heard the phrase about intelligence and poverty in the interpretation that I quote,
            Completely agree with the quote.
            2. I’ll repeat about the USA again, it’s more clear: they don’t need enemies,
            they just get in the way of making money. And the losers of the United States are simply pushed
            in the far corner, so that they do not create problems.
            3. Yawning from boredom, but from lack of sleep.
            And as for wealth ... Well, let's just say
            I'm not a poor person, yes. But for this 20 years
            created his own business, the first V / o construction, (PGS)
            not useful due to the collapse of the country.
            Therefore, I have my own pension fund, not a state one,
            I do not hope and do not believe.
        5. 0
          6 November 2022 22: 09
          In order to be rich, one must be not so much smart as shameless.
      2. 0
        7 October 2022 18: 23
        "Spiral" was a response to the American program. And it was closed after the closure of the corresponding American program. And the appearance of the device was also formed under the influence of American experimental devices.
        So who is using what is an open question.
        1. +2
          7 October 2022 18: 42
          On what? I always thought that they closed it, because they decided to make a shuttle like theirs. As a result, neither Buran nor Buran (
        2. 0
          20 December 2022 16: 28
          The hypersonic booster was not ready.
      3. +1
        7 October 2022 18: 37
        [center]Umm... At a glance! Well, I think there are no such coincidences... Thanks to Gorbach and Yeltsinoid. The wing profile, though different, the demonstrator had
        1. +4
          7 October 2022 20: 30
          Soviet project "Epos"...
        2. 0
          9 November 2022 17: 18
          And what about the profile? This is just an advanced idea stolen from the USSR. Compare the first jet aircraft and modern ones, compare the first Yak-15 with 130 or SU-57, of course you will not find the difference - "the wings are different and the tail is not the same")))
          1. 0
            10 November 2022 00: 20
            The wing profile affects a lot of parameters, including the aerodynamic focus of the airframe, which involves new calculations and blowdowns in the wind tunnel, and not just theft.
      4. +2
        7 October 2022 22: 35
        Well, in general, the Spiral was just the answer to the US Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar program, that is, the pioneers here were the Americans.
        1. 0
          8 October 2022 06: 43
          You should at least look at the difference between the answer and the copy in the dictionary! Yes Spiral was the answer, but the engineering ideas and approaches were completely different!
          1. +1
            8 October 2022 16: 44
            Well, since you give advice, then I’ll give you a careful read before opposing, I didn’t write the word copy in the comments anywhere. He just wrote that the Americans were the pioneers in the orbital / space interceptor-reconnaissance-bomber program, they were the first to start this program first and curtailed it.
            Is it possible to say that the Sierra Nevada Corporation used the developments of the Spiral when developing the Dream Chaser, I don’t know, maybe yes, maybe not, but it is known for sure that even without the Spiral, the Americans have enough competencies in the space industry.
            1. 0
              9 November 2022 17: 46
              It is not known who stole the idea from whom first!
              1. 0
                21 December 2022 07: 52
                In the field of high and military technologies, communizing ideas is not only not shameful, but also vital. IMHO. If a potential enemy does better, one should not wrinkle one's nose and come up with "no analogues", but take, dissect and do even better.
    2. +1
      7 October 2022 16: 25
      Really very similar. Further development in Lozino-Lozinsky is MAKS. Reusable aerospace system. Only there is an air launch.
    3. +3
      7 October 2022 19: 27
      They took it off the tongue ... It is no coincidence that the short-sighted leaders of the late USSR pissed off the country, just like the most promising project before. And this is just one example!!!
  2. -4
    7 October 2022 16: 16
    we need the fastest and most massive removals of space satellites (primarily the United States) over our territory (for sobering up)
    1. -2
      8 October 2022 02: 40
      Here is the correct answer.
      The more correct, the more minuses they will instruct you here))))
      Do not pay attention, do not yell, write what you think.
  3. 0
    7 October 2022 16: 28
    Of course, the question arises, how do we deal with the development of such systems. It seems like Roscosmos some time ago stated that it was also developing something similar. Since then, silent.
    1. +2
      7 October 2022 16: 42
      Quote: Ulan.1812
      Of course, the question arises, how do we deal with the development of such systems. It seems like Roscosmos some time ago stated that it was also developing something similar. Since then, silent.

      but we can’t, Rogozin only knew how to cut money for projects
    2. -2
      7 October 2022 17: 01
      Quote: Ulan.1812
      Of course, the question arises, how do we deal with the development of such systems. It seems like Roscosmos some time ago stated that it was also developing something similar. Since then, silent.

      Under Rogozin, only a rocket carrier could be painted with Gzhel. But such a project is “we don’t need such hockey.” The longest delivery of goods. The payload is a few percent of the starting one. not only with us!
      RS If you want faster, make a transport aircraft based on the Tu-160. Yes, it will eat a lot of kerosene, but it has been tested, tested over the years, and the load is several tons. hi
      1. 0
        7 October 2022 19: 35
        Quote: fa2998
        Quote: Ulan.1812
        Of course, the question arises, how do we deal with the development of such systems. It seems like Roscosmos some time ago stated that it was also developing something similar. Since then, silent.

        Under Rogozin, only a rocket carrier could be painted with Gzhel. But such a project is “we don’t need such hockey.” The longest delivery of goods. The payload is a few percent of the starting one. not only with us!
        RS If you want faster, make a transport aircraft based on the Tu-160. Yes, it will eat a lot of kerosene, but it has been tested, tested over the years, and the load is several tons. hi

        so am I about it. Well, thank God they removed Rogozin.
  4. -7
    7 October 2022 18: 23
    And what is the point in all these developments? Virtually no one needs them! Some show off!
    American ships under the "Space Shuttle" program and the once-flying Soviet "Buran" in the dustbin of history! You ask why, having allegedly flown to the moon, the Yankees created shuttles with a maximum flight altitude above the Earth's surface of 400 miles (about 643 km), never rising above 400 km above the Earth? And why did the loud discussion of the creation of a global communications system by three geostationary satellites hanging about 36000 km above the Earth's surface, after the supposed flights of Americans to the moon, instantly stop? And why does the ISS have a maximum flight altitude of only 419 km, to which it has never climbed? Why rockets fly on engines, the principle of operation of which was developed and implemented by the German Wernher von Braun 80 years ago in V-2 rockets! What has been done after it? New structural materials and more energy-intensive fuels have been developed! Everything! I know the answer, but no one needs this truth - I have already been repeatedly banned by IP address for this truth!
    1. 0
      7 October 2022 18: 42
      once upon a time, the one who attached a semblance of modern wheels to the drag, did not even know the word "show-off", but this immediately increased the speed and weight of the load being moved.
    2. 0
      7 October 2022 18: 46
      Well, there is a YARD, it seems that you have heard about this topic again, or what are you talking about?
  5. +3
    7 October 2022 23: 03
    The Americans are slowly and confidently solving all their problems with space. No pump, small steps. But - constantly. And it brings results. We once Buran took off and landed. Americans were shocked. Now it's the other way around. The main and most pressing question for today is - Where are the best military satellites that our soldiers need so much?
    1. -1
      8 October 2022 16: 53
      Yes, they were not shocked, moreover, the Space Shuttle was also originally supposed to land in an autonomous flight, but the pilots insisted on manual piloting, and most of the flight was automated.
      And an even sadder story is that the Energia-Buran program was an ideologically useless project from the very beginning, it would not have been adequately applied. The main goal of the Space Shuttle program was reusability in order to reduce the cost of launching cargo into orbit, and this was precisely what was incorporated into the design, of the “losses” there was only a “cheap” fuel bug, everything else was reused. Only Buran himself returned to Energia-Buran.
    2. -1
      10 October 2022 16: 06
      The main question is where are the best scientists and engineers, where do they go?
  6. 0
    8 October 2022 00: 28
    an electromagnetic catapult is needed .. you can save fuel on acceleration if you organize it differently
  7. 0
    8 October 2022 00: 59
    Before us is an enlarged "Unmanned orbital rocket plane BOR-4". The appearance of the device based on the results of purges in TsAGI was proposed by Neiland (TsAGI) and Samsonov (NPO Molniya). The scheme for launching the Dream Chaser using a launch vehicle is similar to the scheme for launching the BOR-4. In the 90s, there were persistent rumors in the space industry that aerodynamic calculations and the results of BOR purges were sold to the Americans.
  8. 0
    8 October 2022 14: 38
    Is it Ch. the designer of the Spiral was not Chelomey?
  9. +1
    10 October 2022 10: 24
    In addition to limitations on cargo capacity, passenger capacity and price (which can be solved by scaling the technology), there are other problems:

    1. Launch delays. Preparing for the flight of a launch vehicle takes a very long time and depends on weather conditions. During this time, you can fly by plane (or even by land).

    2. The need to coordinate the launch. If it is possible to solve the previous problem (or keep several devices on rockets in constant readiness), then a sudden launch can be mistaken for a missile attack, with all the consequences ...

    3. Restrictions on the landing area. We need an air base with suitable performance characteristics, which is under the control of our (or friendly) forces.

    4. You still need to somehow get to the starting point. And from the landing site to the target point - too. By traditional methods.

    Despite the decisive superiority in speed of aircraft over cars, at short distances (up to several hundred kilometers), a trip by car takes less time than an air flight. Since in the case of choosing an aircraft, a lot of time is spent on the road to and from the airport, check-in for a flight, passing through security, etc. actions.

    Even if successful, this project will treat air travel in the same way that air travel now relates to car travel. Only not on the scale of hundreds of kilometers, but on the scale of the entire planet.
  10. 0
    9 November 2022 17: 07
    As they were world thieves, they remained so! They can only steal other people's ideas, nat. thieves and robbers and warmed German fascists.
  11. -1
    10 December 2022 15: 23
    Why does the American military need this remnant, have they really lost faith in Musk's mega-rocket?
  12. 0
    12 December 2022 18: 00
    Everything needs money! I propose dispossessing our oligarchs, introducing a 50% personal income tax on billionaires, confiscating the property of oligarchs who fled abroad, nationalizing oil and gas production, wood mining and processing, and we will almost instantly receive about a hundred trillion rubles at the disposal of Russia and Russians. And at once there will be money for everything, both for Burana and Spiral. Enough to drive the currency abroad and natural wealth for a pittance to sell to American hucksters!!!! And with money from federal funds, it is necessary to build the latest high-tech robotic complexes using technologies purchased abroad. It is necessary to double the length of railway lines in the Far East, in the Far North, in Siberia, to lay tunnels to Sakhalin and in the Yakutsk region under the Lena River. It is necessary to build a network of nuclear power plants (for example, in Yakutia, at the mouths of the great Siberian rivers), as well as hydroelectric power stations in places of systematic floods. And the people will live like under communism. We will sell electricity for export, robots will make all the goods for us. And if all sorts of obstacles are built by the Siluanovs, then they already have a wagon and a small cart of material for sabotage, wrecking and financial scams. How much did American bankers pay them off for the fact that Siluanov, along with Nabiullina, invested 300 billion dollars for nothing in American banks? This is how the lads carry out de-dollarization in Russia. They gave the Americans 300 billion dollars and there is no problem with dollars !!!!
  13. 0
    14 December 2022 08: 22
    "They can be used to quickly transfer small units with equipment to the place of performance of tasks."
    -Ha, space BMP
  14. 0
    26 December 2022 01: 51
    Stolen from the USSR? A typical shuttle from the Spiral project. Apparently in the 90s someone sold all the developments to the Americans for nothing

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