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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