Overview
Dream Chaser is a lifting-body spaceplane developed by Sierra Space (formerly Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems). It is the first winged orbital spacecraft since the Space Shuttle and is designed to land on conventional runways — a significant advantage for turnaround time and landing-site flexibility.
The cargo variant, "Tenacity," is contracted under NASA's CRS-2 programme alongside Cargo Dragon and Cygnus. Dream Chaser launches on ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket. A future crewed variant could carry up to 7 astronauts, though no crewed contract has been awarded.
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Dream Chaser Cargo | Dream Chaser Crew (planned) |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sierra Space | Sierra Space |
| Type | Uncrewed cargo | Crewed |
| Crew | — | Up to 7 |
| Cargo Up | 5,000 kg (+ Shooting Star) | TBD |
| Return Cargo | 1,850 kg | TBD |
| Length | ~9 m | ~9 m |
| Wingspan | ~5 m (folded for fairing) | ~5 m |
| Mass | ~11,340 kg | TBD |
| Launch Vehicle | Vulcan Centaur | TBD |
| Landing | Runway (any suitable runway worldwide) | Runway |
| Reuse Target | 15 flights | 15 flights |
Shooting Star Module
Dream Chaser's cargo capacity is augmented by the Shooting Star expendable cargo module, which attaches to the rear. Shooting Star carries additional unpressurised cargo and disposes of station waste via destructive re-entry — similar to how Cygnus and Progress operate. The Dream Chaser spaceplane itself returns to Earth with 1,850 kg of pressurised cargo via runway landing.
Lifting-Body Design
Dream Chaser's lifting-body shape generates lift from its fuselage rather than traditional wings. This design (derived from NASA's HL-20 concept, itself inspired by the Soviet BOR-4) enables lower G-forces during re-entry (~1.5G vs ~3.5G for capsules), making returned experiments and crew more comfortable. The folding wings allow it to fit inside a standard launch vehicle fairing.
Which spacecraft for your mission?
Pick a mission profile and we'll rank the world's crewed and cargo spacecraft by suitability — capability, flight heritage, reusability and fit. A live calculation across our spacecraft catalogue, not a static list.
Anatomy & mission profile
- Cargo (up)5,500 kg
- Pressurised vol16 m³
- Mass9,000 kg
- Launch vehicleVulcan Centaur
- Heat shieldTile-based TPS
- LandingRunway landing
Pressurised volume to scale
Approximate pressurised volume — a sense of how roomy each vehicle is for crew or cargo.
Dream Chaser vs every crew & cargo spacecraft
| Spacecraft | Type | Crew | Cargo kg | Vol m³ | Reuse | Debut | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 Dream Chaser you are here | Cargo spaceplane | — | 5,500 | 16 | ♻︎ Yes | Planned | In development |
| 🇺🇸 Crew Dragon | Crew capsule | 7 | — | 9.3 | ♻︎ Yes | 2020 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Cargo Dragon | Cargo spacecraft | — | 6,000 | 9.3 | ♻︎ Yes | 2020 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Dragon | Crew + cargo family | 7 | 6,000 | 9.3 | ♻︎ Yes | 2010 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Orion | Deep-space crew capsule | 4 | — | 19.6 | No | 2022 | Pre-operational |
| 🇺🇸 Starliner | Crew capsule | 7 | — | 11 | ♻︎ Yes | 2019 | Under review |
| 🇷🇺 Soyuz MS | Crew capsule | 3 | — | 7.5 | No | 1967 | Operational |
| 🇨🇳 Shenzhou | Crew capsule | 3 | — | 7 | No | 2003 | Operational |
| 🇷🇺 Progress | Cargo spacecraft | — | 2,400 | 7.6 | No | 1978 | Operational |
| 🇨🇳 Tianzhou | Cargo spacecraft | — | 6,700 | 18.1 | No | 2017 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Cygnus | Cargo spacecraft | — | 3,750 | 27 | No | 2013 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Starship HLS | Crewed lunar lander | 4 | 100,000 | 100 | ♻︎ Yes | Planned | In development |
| 🇯🇵 HTV-X | Cargo spacecraft | — | 5,850 | 30 | No | Planned | In development |
Tap any column to sort · crew = maximum seats, cargo = pressurised + unpressurised upmass · figures are best estimates as of 2026.
Track Dream Chaser across Orbital Radar
Frequently Asked Questions
The first cargo mission ("Tenacity") is targeted for launch on Vulcan Centaur. Check the launch schedule for current dates.
The cargo variant is currently uncrewed. Sierra Space has plans for a crewed variant carrying up to 7 astronauts, but no crewed contract has been awarded by NASA.
On a conventional runway — any runway long enough to accommodate it (approximately 3,000 m). This is a major advantage over capsules that require ocean or remote land recovery.