A private space plane flew to the skies for the second time on Thursday and passed the ‘captive carry’ test necessary to pave the way for its free-flying debut that will commence during the fall season.
The ‘Dream Chaser space plane, developed by the Sierra Nevada Corporation of Colorado, aims to fly astronauts from and to the International Space Station. The plane was suspended in the air by an Erickson Air-Crane heavy-lift helicopter located on top of the Dryden Flight Research Center of NASA in Edwards, Calif.
The helicopter carried a test model of Dream Chaser for two hours during the trial. A maximum altitude of 3,780 meters or 12,400 feet had been reached. In addition, the helicopter followed a certain path which the space plane is most likely to navigate on future approaches and landing practices at Dryden.
Sierra Nevada Corporation is creating the Dream Chaser space plane to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and to the Earth’s orbit. During the flight, several things have been tested such as the space plane’s navigation and control systems, flight computer and guidance, and the landing gear mechanism.
There are other firms that are vying to transport NASA astronauts into space such as SpaceX and Boeing. The former is working on a manipulative model of a robotic Dragon capsule while the latter is working on a capsule with the moniker CST-100. NASA hopes that by 2017, at least one of the three types of planes can be up and soaring in the skies.
