Sierra Space's Commercial Spaceplane Tenacity Prepares for NASA Testing; First Orbital Flight Targeted for 2024

Sierra Space's Dream Chaser "Tenacity" soon to undergo NASA testing for vibration, sound, and temperature endurance; spacecraft designed as alternative to SpaceX for ISS resupply with ability to bring back cargo, and a potential future in commercial orbital human transport.

• Sierra Space's Tenacity, the world's first commercial spaceplane, is now ready for NASA testing to ensure its ability to survive the rigors of a rocket launch and operations in space.
• The testing will include vibration, acoustic and temperature tests at NASA's test site in Ohio for a period between one to three months.
• Tenacity is intended as an alternative to SpaceX for resupplying the International Space Station (ISS), with it capable of carrying 12,000 pounds of cargo to the ISS and returning with up to 4,000 pounds.
• Unlike other spacecraft that land in the ocean, Tenacity is designed to return to Earth via a runway landing, with Sierra claiming that runway landings are more desirable for the protection of sensitive payloads.
• The first trip of Tenacity to the ISS is scheduled to take place in April 2024, with Sierra Space aiming to have a human-rated version of Dream Chaser ready by 2026.

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