The company provided SpaceNews with images of the first Dream Chaser,
named Tenacity, being assembled at its Colorado headquarters. The
vehicle’s structure is now largely complete, but there is still more
work to install its thermal protection system and other components.

“We have the wings on now. It really looks like a spaceplane,” said
Janet Kavandi, president of Sierra Space, during a panel at the AIAA
ASCENDx Texas conference in Houston April 28, where she played a video
showing work building the vehicle.

Having a commercial spacecraft that can land on runways would be an
improvement over splashdown landings would be a game changer.

No more parachutes that costs millions, no more multiple ships resources
needed and no "salt water" costly refurbishing.

https://tinyurl.com/y5lsjfqc
--
Frank Howell

Frank Howell wrote:
> The company provided SpaceNews with images of the first Dream Chaser,
> named Tenacity, being assembled at its Colorado headquarters. The
> vehicle’s structure is now largely complete, but there is still more
> work to install its thermal protection system and other components.
>
> “We have the wings on now. It really looks like a spaceplane,”
> said Janet Kavandi, president of Sierra Space, during a panel at the
> AIAA ASCENDx Texas conference in Houston April 28, where she played a
> video showing work building the vehicle.
>
>
> Having a commercial spacecraft that can land on runways would be an
> improvement over splashdown landings would be a game changer.
>
> No more parachutes that costs millions, no more multiple ships resources
> needed and no "salt water" costly refurbishing.
>
>    https://tinyurl.com/y5lsjfqc

I allege that I think it's a good idea, and I hope it succeeds, but if
they continue with the plan to get it into space with the expendable
ULA Vulcan, they can stop crowing about cost savings, I think.

--
bill
Theory don't mean squat if it don't work.

bfh wrote:
> Frank Howell wrote:
>> The company provided SpaceNews with images of the first Dream Chaser,
>> named Tenacity, being assembled at its Colorado headquarters. The
>> vehicle’s structure is now largely complete, but there is still more
>> work to install its thermal protection system and other components.
>>
>> “We have the wings on now. It really looks like a spaceplane,”
>> said Janet Kavandi, president of Sierra Space, during a panel at the
>> AIAA ASCENDx Texas conference in Houston April 28, where she played a
>> video showing work building the vehicle.
>>
>>
>> Having a commercial spacecraft that can land on runways would be an
>> improvement over splashdown landings would be a game changer.
>>
>> No more parachutes that costs millions, no more multiple ships resources
>> needed and no "salt water" costly refurbishing.
>>
>>     https://tinyurl.com/y5lsjfqc
>
> I allege that I think it's a good idea, and I hope it succeeds, but if
> they continue with the plan to get it into space with the expendable ULA
> Vulcan, they can stop crowing about cost savings, I think.
>
Well i guess you missed this:

The Sensible Modular Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) reuse concept
was also announced during the initial April 2015 unveiling. The booster
engines, avionics, and thrust structure would be detached as a module
from the propellant tanks after booster engine cutoff. The module would
descend through the atmosphere under an inflatable heat shield. After
parachute deployment, a helicopter would capture the module in mid-air.
ULA estimated this technology would reduce the cost of the first stage
propulsion by 90%, and 65% of the total first-stage cost.[35] By 2020,
ULA has not announced firm plans to fund, build and test this
engine-reuse concept, though in late 2019 they stated they were "still
planning to eventually reuse Vulcan's first-stage engines".[36]

This almost could be a game changer depending on training the chopper
goes. snicker. But right now it's stuck with planing and planing....

--
Frank Howell

Frank Howell wrote:
> bfh wrote:
>> Frank Howell wrote:
>>> The company provided SpaceNews with images of the first Dream
>>> Chaser, named Tenacity, being assembled at its Colorado
>>> headquarters. The vehicle’s structure is now largely
>>> complete, but there is still more work to install its thermal
>>> protection system and other components.
>>>
>>> “We have the wings on now. It really looks like a
>>> spaceplane,” said Janet Kavandi, president of Sierra Space,
>>> during a panel at the AIAA ASCENDx Texas conference in Houston
>>> April 28, where she played a video showing work building the vehicle.
>>>
>>>
>>> Having a commercial spacecraft that can land on runways would be an
>>> improvement over splashdown landings would be a game changer.
>>>
>>> No more parachutes that costs millions, no more multiple ships
>>> resources
>>> needed and no "salt water" costly refurbishing.
>>>
>>>     https://tinyurl.com/y5lsjfqc
>>
>> I allege that I think it's a good idea, and I hope it succeeds, but
>> if they continue with the plan to get it into space with the
>> expendable ULA Vulcan, they can stop crowing about cost savings, I
>> think.
>>
> Well  i guess you missed this:
>
> The Sensible Modular Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) reuse
> concept was also announced during the initial April 2015 unveiling.
> The booster engines, avionics, and thrust structure would be detached
> as a module from the propellant tanks after booster engine cutoff. The
> module would descend through the atmosphere under an inflatable heat
> shield. After parachute deployment, a helicopter would capture the
> module in mid-air. ULA estimated this technology would reduce the cost
> of the first stage propulsion by 90%, and 65% of the total first-stage
> cost.[35] By 2020, ULA has not announced firm plans to fund, build and
> test this engine-reuse concept, though in late 2019 they stated they
> were "still planning to eventually reuse Vulcan's first-stage
> engines".[36]
>
> This almost could be a game changer depending on training the chopper
> goes. snicker.  But right now it's stuck with planing and planing....
>

Chopper catching should not be a problem. When we were flying 30-ft
drones in the 60's, they ended their missions with a parachute
deployment, and our chopper guys were catching them with no problem.
Equipment and methods have probably improved considerably since
then................unless the skills and knowledge were lost in the
dustbin of history.

There might even be some videos out there in the ether somewhere. If
you're interested, look for stuff related to DC-130's and/or 147SA,
SB, or SC drones.

--
bill
Theory don't mean squat if it don't work.