Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser successfully completed a drop and glide test flight from 12,300 feet to Runway 22L at Edwards Air Force Base last week. "The Dream Chaser flight test demonstrated excellent performance of the spacecraft's aerodynamic design and the data shows that we are firmly on the path for safe, reliable orbital flight," said Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president of Sierra Nevada's Space System division. The Dream Chaser was original envisioned as a crew transport to and from the international space station, but after receiving part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract, Sierra Nevada is focused on the cargo-only mission for now. The Dream Chaser will catch a ride to orbit atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/business-military/dream-chaser-flies-free-again