The Dream Chaser space plane that lands on a runway like an aeroplane and launches with the help of a rocket will join the duo of privately operated space capsules – SpaceX’s reusable Dragon and Orbital ATK’s disposable Cygnus.
NASA awarded contracts valued at several billion dollars Jan. 14 to three companies, including one newcomer, for commercial cargo deliveries to the International Space Station through 2024.
See, Dream Chaser space plane to fly to ISS (Video) @ Canada Journal.
There’s also significant support among our European allies for the Dream Chaser. See, from the BBC, Europe excited by Dream Chaser mini-shuttle.
Winged craft don’t simply look sharp – they allow (among other things) runway landings that permit rapid return of biomedical experiments to terrestrial laboratories.
NASA made the right decision when she encouraged multiple, private companies to compete for transportation contracts. Out of that competition, America will have more than one good vehicle (where each of those options will be at the forefront of contemporary engineering).