Winged "Dream Chaser" joins space station cargo fleet
Source: CBS News
By WILLIAM HARWOOD CBS NEWS January 14, 2016, 6:55 PM
Winged "Dream Chaser" joins space station cargo fleet
SpaceX and Orbital ATK will continue to provide unpiloted cargo delivery missions to the International Space Station under a new round of commercial contracts extending through 2024, NASA managers announced Thursday. But Sierra Nevada's winged "Dream Chaser" spacecraft will join the fleet, launching atop Atlas 5 rockets and robotically gliding to a runway landing like NASA's now-retired space shuttle.
The Dream Chaser will allow researchers to gain access to biological samples and other materials returning from space within a few hours of touchdown, a high priority for station researchers.
SpaceX's Dragon capsule, which currently splashes down in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Los Angles, will be upgraded to touch down on land as required under the new contract, officials said, offering equally speedy offloads of high-priority science cargo.
Orbital ATK's Cygnus capsules are not designed to return through Earth's atmosphere and instead burn up during re-entry, carrying away unwanted trash and equipment as needed. But Orbital, unlike SpaceX and Sierra Nevada, will be able to launch to the station from Virginia or the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to provide additional flexibility.
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