Sierra Nevada Corp. has tapped United Launch Alliance to provide launch services for its Dream Chaser spacecraft, which will perform six cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station for NASA.
Dream Chaser will fly aboard ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rockets to bring over 12K pounds of cargo to the ISS as well as return science experiments and dispose of approximately 7K pounds of disposable cargo under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract, ULA said Wednesday.
“SNC selected ULA because of our strong collaboration on the Dream Chaser program, their proven safety record and on-time performance,†said SNC CEO Fatih Ozmen.
“This is one of the first contracts for our new Vulcan Centaur rocket, and the first of the six missions will serve as the rocket’s second certification flight,†said Tory Bruno, president and CEO of ULA. “We are excited to bring our more than 120 years of combined launch experience with our Atlas and Delta rockets, which build on a progressive history of technology development and advancement, to Vulcan Centaur.â€
Sierra Nevada-owned Dream Chaser is a reusable space vehicle capable of runway landing. The spacecraft’s cargo missions under CRS-2 are expected to land at Kennedy Space Center’s shuttle landing facility in Florida.
