NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program
Development of the Dream Chaser has been supported by internal SNC funding, a non-reimburseable NASA Space Act Agreement (SAA), and two funded NASA SAA’s through the Commercial Crew Development Program (CCDev).
In 2010, SNC was awarded $20 million as a part of the first CCDev SAA. SNC completed the four planned milestones on time which included program implementation plans, manufacturing readiness capability, hybrid rocket test fires, and the prelimary structure design. Further initial Dream Chaser tests included the drop test of a 15% scaled version at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The 5 foot long model was dropped from 14,000 ft. to test flight stability and collect aerodynamic data for flight control surfaces.
The second SAA under the CCDev 2 Program awarded SNC with $80 million in May 2011. Since then, nearly a dozen further milestones have been completed. Some of these milestones included testing of the airfoil fin shape, integrated flight software and hardware, landing gear, and a full scale captive carry flight test. The Dream Chaser is on track for operational commercial human flight capability as early as 2016.
Read more about this topic: Dream Chaser
Famous quotes containing the words nasa, commercial, crew, development and/or program:
“If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we would probably create something the size of NASA to make one.”
—H. Ross Perot (b. 1930)
“It is only by not paying one’s bills that one can hope to live in the memory of the commercial classes.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)
“Nor aught availed him now
To have built in heav’n high tow’rs; nor did he scape
By all his engines, but was headlong sent
With his industrious crew to build in hell.”
—John Milton (1608–1674)
“The American has dwindled into an Odd Fellow—one who may be known by the development of his organ of gregariousness.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“In 1869 he started his work for temperance instigated by three drunken men who came to his home with a paper signed by a saloonkeeper and his patrons on which was written “For God’s sake organize a temperance society.””
—Federal Writers’ Project Of The Wor, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)