ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

NASA awards ISS cargo duties to a third private corp that uses a mini-shuttle

There's a now a third private space entity that's been screened and granted permission to ferry cargo to and fro the International Space Station. Joining SpaceX and Orbital will be the Sierra Nevada Corp. which plans to use a reusable winged craft that looks like a mini-shuttle. The design allows for a soft landing on a runway, instead of dropping the ocean, that might prove more effective for retrieving sensitive scientific instruments.

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
January 18, 2016
in News, Space
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Top-Secret Air Force plane lands after 2 year mission in Earth’s orbit
ISS crew took to their escape pods this weekend after space debris collision alert
NASA prepares to grow peppers on the International Space Station
Firefighting in space might lead to important combustion advancements

There’s a now a third private space entity that’s been screened and granted permission to ferry cargo to and fro the International Space Station. Joining SpaceX and Orbital will be the Sierra Nevada Corp. which plans to use a reusable winged craft that looks like a mini-shuttle. The design allows for a soft landing on a runway, instead of dropping the ocean, that might prove more effective for retrieving sensitive scientific instruments.

The space company worth billions you likely never heard about

Image: Sierra Nevada Corp.
Image: Sierra Nevada Corp.

In 2008, anticipating the impending decommissioning of the space shuttle, NASA awarded the first commercial space contract worth $3 bn. In 2012, a year after the shuttle was retired, SpaceX flew the first International Space Station re-supply mission. Orbital with its  Cygnus cargo spacecraft was also included in the program.

After it lost a very important bid to SpaceX and Boeing to transport astronauts to the ISS, Sierra Nevada Corp. finally hit the jackpot.

“Within a few short years, the world will once again see a United States winged vehicle launch and return from space to a runway landing,” Mark Sirangelo, vice president of Sierra Nevada’s space systems, said in a statement.

Artist impression of the Dream Chaser docked with the ISS. Image: Sierra Nevada Corp.
Artist impression of the Dream Chaser docked with the ISS. Image: Sierra Nevada Corp.

The fact that the company’s  Dream Chaser craft looks nothing like the capsules used by its competitors must have won it some points from NASA. It’s unique because it can land on a  traditional airline runway, instead of crashing in the ocean or burning on re-entry. This is very important as right now it will be the only company that will be able to perform certain missions with success — those that involve the retrieval of sensitive experiments. Biologists, most of all, will rejoice.

“There are a lot of reasons to use animal studies to look at things like balance and sensory motor effects (of microgravity), and those are going to change so rapidly on return that we need to have the animals back right away,” station chief scientist Julie Robinson told Reuters.

NASA declined to comment on the total cost of the three contracts, which will see a minimum of six flights by each of the three companies. The total budget was $14 billion, but Sirangelo said it will come nowhere near the cited maximum value of the contract. “Within a few short years, the world will once again see a United States winged vehicle launch and return from space to a runway landing,” he says.

 

Tags: International Space StationshuttleSierra Nevada Corp

ShareTweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

News

Astronauts Who Spent 286 Extra Days in Space Earned No Overtime. But They Did Get a $5 a Day “Incidentals” Allowance

byTibi Puiu
2 months ago
Future

Astronauts Can Now Print Metal in Space and It’s a Game Changer for Future Missions

byMihai Andrei
2 months ago
????????????????????????
News

The International Space Station Might Be “Too Clean” for Astronauts’ Own Good

byJordan Strickler
2 months ago
GMT029_06_47_Don Pettit_OST FWD dragon
Great Pics

An Astronaut Just Captured a Jaw-Dropping Photo of Earth and the Milky Way from Space

byTibi Puiu
3 months ago

Recent news

Barbie’s Feet Have Something to Say About Modern Womanhood

May 15, 2025

The Best Archaeopteryx Fossil Ever Found Just Showed It Could Fly

May 14, 2025

Earliest Reptile Footprints Found By Amateur Paleontologist in 355-Million-Year-Old Rock Push Back the Dawn of Land Animals

May 14, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.