System Definition Review Completed On Commercial Crew Spacecraft

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Space Systems has completed milestones five and six for its Dream Chaser Space System under NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) Program. SNC has completed ten straight Milestones as part of NASA’s CCDev Programs, with all Milestones completed on time and within budget.

Artists' Concept

SNC’S fifth Milestone of CCDev2 was the completion of a System Definition Review (SDR) for the Dream Chaser Space System. This important review was the culmination of months of work, including 19 Subsystem Definition Reviews, and marked the completion of the Program’s first design cycle. During the SDR Milestone meeting, the Dream Chaser team presented the Dream Chaser Space System baseline architecture to NASA program management.

The most recent Milestone was the introduction of a Flight Control Integration Laboratory (FCIL) for the Dream Chaser crew vehicle. This laboratory allows the team to assess the vehicle’s flight control surfaces and associated mechanisms required for flight. FCIL’s adaptive design allows it to communicate with the Dream Chaser Cockpit Based Simulator and Vehicle Avionics Integration Laboratory for integrated performance and pilot-in-the-loop testing.

"The successful completion of these Milestones is a significant accomplishment for the Dream Chaser Program," said Jim Voss, Vice President of SNC’s Space Exploration Systems. Our spacecraft’s architecture is now fully baselined and our suite of laboratories and test facilities are ready to support the hardware and software development critical to a successful high-altitude flight test in the coming months.”

SNC Space Systems and our team of industry partners, universities, and NASA Centers are committed to creating a safe and cost-effective space system that provides NASA with the capability to safely transport crew and cargo to and from the International Space Station,” added Mark Sirangelo, head of SNC’s Space Systems. “The Dream Chaser team is on track to complete the remaining CCDev2 Milestones – culminating with the first flight of the Dream Chaser in 2012 – with the same attention to safety, cost, and schedule as our accomplished Milestones.”

FMI: www.sncorp.com