Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser space plane is expected to take flight soon, but it seems like “soon” might not be this year. With a development timeline spanning over two decades, the winged spaceplane has garnered a significant following due to its resemblance to NASA’s iconic Space Shuttle.
Program manager Dana Weigel from NASA’s International Space Station confirmed that Sierra Space is in final assembly and conducting extensive tests, but no specific launch date was provided. According to Weigel, the main focus areas for Dream Chaser are software certification and propulsion system certification.
NASA has learned a valuable lesson from Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft experience in 2019, where software problems plagued its debut flight. As a result, NASA is now requiring end-to-end testing of a spacecraft’s software prior to visiting the space station. Additionally, Sierra Space is still working to certify Dream Chaser’s propulsion system.
The spacecraft boasts over two dozen small rocket engines, each capable of operating at three levels of thrust for fine control or significant orbit adjustments. The propellants used are kerosene and hydrogen peroxide, a safer alternative to toxic hypergolic propellants that ignite on contact.
Despite the delays, Dream Chaser remains an exciting project with a unique winged design. While no launch date has been set, it’s clear that NASA is taking a cautious approach to ensure its safety and success.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/08/is-the-dream-chaser-space-plane-ever-going-to-launch-into-orbit