ULA Delays Dream Chaser Launch: Sierra Spaceplane Replaced by Inert Payload Amid Scheduling Conflicts

ULA Delays Dream Chaser Launch: Sierra Spaceplane Replaced by Inert Payload Amid Scheduling Conflicts
Image credit: Wikipedia 

Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane will no longer be part of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) second Vulcan Centaur flight due to scheduling delays. Instead, an “inert payload” will replace it. ULA announced this change on Wednesday, citing Sierra Space's concerns about meeting the September launch date. ULA CEO Tory Bruno explained that Sierra Space decided to “step aside” to allow ULA to proceed with its certification process with the Department of Defense (DOD). This upcoming launch is crucial as it is the final step before the Vulcan Centaur rocket can be certified for national security missions for the DOD. 

ULA conducted the first Vulcan mission earlier this year and plans to launch additional technology “experiments and demonstrations” along with the inert payload. Bruno did not provide further details on these experiments. ULA aims to launch at least two more Vulcan missions before the year's end, specifically national security missions USSF-106 and USSF-87, which are part of a backlog of launches under contract with the DOD.

Despite the delay, Sierra Space maintains that its first Dream Chaser spaceplane, named Tenacity, is still on schedule for its maiden mission by the end of the year. Tenacity, along with its expendable Shooting Star cargo module, completed environmental testing in May and was subsequently delivered to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for final testing.

Unlike SpaceX’s Dragon or Boeing’s Starliner, the Dream Chaser is designed to land horizontally on a runway, similar to NASA’s retired space shuttle. It aims to deliver cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA. Initially expected to begin these missions in late 2019, the program has faced significant delays since Sierra Space was awarded the Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract in 2016.

For its inaugural mission under the CRS-2 contract, Dream Chaser will deliver 7,800 pounds of cargo to the ISS and will remain attached to the station for 45 days before returning to Florida for inspection and reuse. Beyond cargo missions, Sierra Space is developing a crewed version of Dream Chaser and an inflatable habitat module intended for use as a private space station in low Earth orbit. The company has raised $1.7 billion to support these space projects.