SpaceDev update

[docm]

Space News link....<br /><br />(quotes focused on Dream Chaser)<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><b>SpaceDev: Focus on Core Space Technologies<br /><br /><i></i></b>><br />The company now has facilities at three locations: Poway, Calif.; Louisville, Colo.; and Durham, N.C. The diverse trio of locales in three states also helps garner political support when needed, Sirangelo said.<br /><br /><b><font color="yellow">SpaceDev is gearing up for the likelihood that NASA will go ahead and hold a competition for the $175 million in unspent funds that the agency previously had awarded to Rocketplane Kistler under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement. <br /> /><br />"We're gearing up for what might come next," Sirangelo told Space News in a Sept. 16 telephone interview. The SpaceDev team proposed its Dream Chaser space plane for the initial COTS competition, but came in third, he said, losing out to Rocketplane Kistler.</font></b><br /><br />Dream Chaser is based on the NASA HL-20 lifting body space plane and Sirangelo said SpaceDev has been putting its own money into the concept since the COTS awards were made, pushing the space plane forward on several technical tracks. "We've kept in shape, if you will, because we thought that this was going to come around," he said.<br /><br />Sirangelo said NASA recognizes that it needs to do something quickly because time is passing, and the agency "can't wait another year to make this happen."<br /><br />SpaceDev signed a memorandum of understanding with United Launch Alliance in April to evaluate human-rating the Atlas 5 launch vehicle and configuring it for use with Dream Chaser. The first phase of that work, Sirangelo said, is about to be completed showing that Dream Chaser can ride on an Atlas and attain the orbit desired. "It's actually pretty good news," he said.<br /><br /><b></b></p></blockquote> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[j05h]

That's all excellent SpaceDev news. I've known Jim since before he started the company, he has strongly leveraged his assets and knowledge from the database industry in growing this company. SpaceDev continues to lead the new.space companies in technology and relevance. <br /><br />One thing this release fails to make clear is if this is the same DreamChaser as the "new" suborbital unit (dart w/ airbrakes) or will it still be the HL20 vehicle. Also, how many actual units are they building? Are they planning on actually flying the original one or is it now an engineering model?<br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[docm]

You missed this part;<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Dream Chaser is based on the NASA HL-20 lifting body space plane and Sirangelo said SpaceDev has been putting its own money into the concept since the COTS awards were made, pushing the space plane forward on several technical tracks. "We've kept in shape, if you will, because we thought that this was going to come around," he said.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />HL20 for orbit but no info on how many units (I'd expect at least 2-3) and IIRC the engineering model is just a reference. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[gunsandrockets]

<...is the same DreamChaser as the "new" suborbital unit (dart w/ airbrakes) or will it still be the HL20 vehicle.><br /><br />The DreamChaser name still is in reference to the HL-20 based vehicle. This same question came up when the new suborbital X-1 lookalike was revealed. I don't know what the name of that suborbital rocket-plane is yet, but I do recall SpaceDev claiming the lifting-body DreamChaser is still the orbital design (and name) of choice and the new suborbital dart will receive a new name of it's own.

 

[gunsandrockets]

Go DreamChaser!

 

[holmec]

Great news. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>