Sierra Space has expanded its global network of support for the revolutionary Dream Chaser® spaceplane.
The company revealed that two additional partners have joined the effort. They will investigate Spaceport Oita in Kunisaki, Oita, Japan, as a potential landing site in Asia.
Sierra Space is a commercial space-tech company dedicated to “Building a Platform in Space to Benefit Life on Earth®
MUFG Bank, Ltd., and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd., both anchor investors in Sierra Space’s Series B funding round. They join up with Sierra Space, Oita Prefecture, Kanematsu Corporation, and Japan Airlines.
Proposed Operations at Oita Airport
This powerful consortium will conduct a comprehensive utilization and landing site study at Spaceport Oita. This will be based at Oita Airport in Japan.
The group aims to identify and develop further business opportunities for the Dream Chaser. Their focus will be across Japan and the broader Asian continent.
The partnership has been exploring a wide range of possibilities enabled by the realization of a horizontal spaceport.
These include the practical aspects of landing a space plane at Oita Airport. It seeks to address the complex legal and regulatory issues associated with such an endeavor. It further aims to establish a thriving economic zone around the spaceport.
The ultimate vision is to transform Oita Airport into a key Asian base for Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser operations.
Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice spoke on the project, stating, “Our dual-use and fully reusable Dream Chaser spaceplane will transform space travel.”
“Dream Chaser’s unique ability to land on compatible commercial runways worldwide – transporting precious cargo efficiently in a low-g landing – opens myriad, new global economic opportunities.”
Vice further emphasized the significance of the new partnerships. “Two major Sierra Space investors, MUFG Bank, Ltd., and Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd., will help extend the robust commercial economy we’re building in Low Earth Orbit to businesses and academic institutions in Japan and across the Asia-Pacific region.
“We are honored to share this vision with them, along with our partners in Oita Prefecture, Kanematsu and Japan Airlines.”
About the Dream Chaser
The Dream Chaser, heralded as the world’s first winged commercial spacecraft, has already made significant strides.
It recently arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and entered into operations in preparation for its inaugural International Space Station (ISS) servicing mission. This milestone marks a new era in commercial space travel and cargo transport.
Sierra Space is not resting on its laurels, however. The company is rapidly expanding its Dream Chaser fleet, with a second spaceplane already under construction.
Moreover, Sierra Space is actively pursuing multiple global partnerships to establish additional runway landing sites. These include:
- Kennedy Space Center, Florida: Space Florida holds a Launch and Re-entry Site Operator License, allowing Dream Chaser to land at the Launch & Landing Facility (LLF).
- Spaceport Cornwall, U.K.: A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in June 2021, following a successful Concept of Operations study.
- Huntsville, Alabama: The FAA has issued a license permitting Dream Chaser landings at Huntsville International Airport.
- Spaceport America, New Mexico: An agreement signed in June 2022 adds this versatile location to Dream Chaser’s portfolio of compatible runways.
The Dream Chaser is set to revolutionize space transportation. In its upcoming cargo supply and return mission for NASA, it will be capable of delivering up to 12,000 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station per flight.
What sets Dream Chaser apart is its reusability and its unique ability to perform a smooth 1.5 low-g re-entry.
This feature is crucial for both crew and cargo transportation, ensuring minimal stress on passengers and sensitive equipment alike.
Operations from Commercial Runways
Furthermore, Dream Chaser’s ability to land on existing commercial runways worldwide opens up unprecedented possibilities for global space operations.
This flexibility could dramatically reduce the costs and logistical challenges associated with space missions, making space more accessible than ever before.
As Sierra Space continues to forge ahead with its ambitious plans, the company is not just advancing space technology – it’s reshaping the very nature of our relationship with space.
By creating a more accessible space economy, Sierra Space is bringing us closer to a future where space travel and utilization become integral parts of our global infrastructure and economy.
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