--- title: "A Real-Life “Star Wars”-Style Spacecraft Is Preparing for Launch" description: "  Space company Sierra Space's Dream Chaser space plane is like no other. It's retractable wings and space shuttle-like fuselage make it look like it was yanked straight out of a \"Stars Wars\" movie. And it's almost ready to roar into action. The sleek cargo spacecraft arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center last week in […]" date: "2024-06-03" modified: "2024-06-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/star-wars-spacecraft-dream-chaser-preparing-launch" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "dream chaser" - "international space station" - "sierra space" - "Spaceplane" - "the digest" --- # A Real-Life “Star Wars”-Style Spacecraft Is Preparing for Launch ![Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center last week in preparation for its maiden voyage to the ISS.]() *\Image: Sierra Space\* ## ISS Star Fighter Space company Sierra Space's Dream Chaser space plane is like no other: its retractable wings and sleek Space Shuttle-like fuselage make it look like it was yanked straight out of a "Star Wars" movie. It might sound implausible, but it's almost ready to roar into action. The [intriguing spacecraft]() arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center last week in preparation for its maiden voyage to the International Space Station in September, having [completed "rigorous environmental testing]()" at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. And while its first launch is designed to test its cargo capabilities, the company is already looking to launch human astronauts on board as well. "Oh, it’s a possibility I might be flying, it’s a possibility you could be a passenger as well," retired NASA astronaut and Sierra Space chief medical officer Tom Marshburn [told *NBC 6 South Florida*](). https://twitter.com/SierraSpaceCo/status/1796280204719218918 ## Space Glider But before Tenacity, the first in Sierra Space's Dream Chaser fleet, can embark on its first-ever mission — a project that was [first announced]() almost 20 years ago — Sierra Space still has its work cut out for it. Now at the Kennedy Space Center, the spacecraft will still have to go through a litany of tests and eventually be attached to the launcher of the United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket, which will hoist it into space. Dream Chaser is under contract with NASA to fly seven cargo missions to the ISS, a renewable alternative to SpaceX's Dragon cargo shuttle that can glide back through the atmosphere to land on any runway [that's at least 10,000 feet in length](), instead of relying on giant parachutes to make its uncontrolled descent. In fact, it's the [first private spaceplane]() ever built, though building on an extensive legacy of US and [Soviet]() spaceplanes. The unusual spacecraft is still being outfitted with heat tiles designed to protect it during its reentry through the Earth's atmosphere, and will need to be attached to its expendable cargo module, dubbed "Shooting Star." And, as [*Ars Technica* reports](), it's still unclear how long all of this hands-on work will take and whether Sierra Space will meet its already ambitious September deadline. But we can't wait to see it in action. **More on Dream Chaser:** *[Sierra Space Reveals "Star Wars"-Looking New Spaceship]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()