Meet Dream Chaser, The Next-Generation Space Plane | Countdown to Launch

This new space plane just got one step closer to liftoff, and it could change spaceflight to the ISS in years to come. » Subscribe to Seeker!http://bit.ly/subscribeseeker » Watch more Countdown to Launch: http://bit.ly/CTLplaylist The Space Shuttle Orbiter is an iconic symbol of human space exploration, and we haven’t seen anything like its unique design since its retirement in 2011. Until now. Engineers at the Sierra Nevada Corporation’s facility in Colorado are in the early stages of assembling the new space plane, called the Dream Chaser. The Dream Chaser is one of NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract recipients, and the vehicle will join the fleet of utility spacecraft, like SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and Northrop Grumman's Cygnus module. But unlike those spacecraft, the Dream Chaser is shaped like a plane, allowing for the space plane to be reused 15 times or more, reducing costs and allowing for quick turnaround between missions. The space plane’s shape is not the only thing that makes the Dream Chaser so enticing, the vehicle is also capable of supporting a variety of needs, like landing on runways used to passenger planes; carrying various loads of cargo; supporting a microgravity lab; and disposing of waste from the International Space Station (ISS). It can land on runways used for passenger planes; carry various loads of cargo; support a microgravity lab; and dispose of waste from the ISS. Find out more about the next-generation space plane that might be the new icon of human spaceflight for years to come on this episode of Countdown To Launch. #Space #Exploration #Rocket #Spaceplane #NASA #Astronaut #CountdownToLaunch #Seeker #Science Read More: SNC's Dream Chaser® spacecraft https://www.sncorp.com/what-we-do/dream-chaser-space-vehicle/ "Our Dream Chaser spacecraft was selected by NASA to provide cargo delivery, return and disposal service for the space station under the Commercial Resupply Service 2 (CRS-2) contract. Dream Ch