The world’s first commercial space plane is about to take off, making its maiden voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) in low Earth orbit this year, carrying over 3,540 kilograms of cargo.

After more than a decade in development, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser, which can land horizontally on a runway like a traditional aircraft, has completed testing.

Although the first flight will be an unmanned mission, it will eventually carry astronauts to the space station, much like SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.

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Along with SpaceX and Boeing, Sierra Space is one of the companies selected by NASA a decade ago to send people and equipment to the ISS.
According to Sierra Space, which is based in Louisville, Colorado, the Dream Chaser just completed “rigorous” testing at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, and will soon be shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the inaugural launch. launch to the ISS.

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