Sierra Nevada calls Dream Chaser flight a success despite gear failure
Posted: Wed, Oct 30, 2013, 7:36 AM ET (1136 GMT)
Sierra Nevada Corporation said Tuesday that Saturday's glide test of a prototype of its Dream Chaser spacecraft was largely a success despite the failure of a landing gear that caused the vehicle to skid off the runway after landing. Company vice president Mark Sirangelo said that Dream Chaser flew as planned during its one-minute glide after being released from a helicopter from an altitude of 3,800 meters above Edwards Air Force Base in California. The vehicle's flight was marred when the left landing gear failed to extend, apparently because of a mechanical issue with the gear. The vehicle skidded off the runway after landing, but Sirangelo said the vehicle suffered only minor damage. The company is investigating the gear failure and studying whether to repair the vehicle and make another drop test or move ahead with the next phase of vehicle development.
Sierra Nevada Corporation said Tuesday that Saturday's glide test of a prototype of its Dream Chaser spacecraft was largely a success despite the failure of a landing gear that caused the vehicle to skid off the runway after landing. Company vice president Mark Sirangelo said that Dream Chaser flew as planned during its one-minute glide after being released from a helicopter from an altitude of 3,800 meters above Edwards Air Force Base in California. The vehicle's flight was marred when the left landing gear failed to extend, apparently because of a mechanical issue with the gear. The vehicle skidded off the runway after landing, but Sirangelo said the vehicle suffered only minor damage. The company is investigating the gear failure and studying whether to repair the vehicle and make another drop test or move ahead with the next phase of vehicle development.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Apex becomes billion-dollar company with $200 million Series D round
Posted: Sun, Sep 14 4:09 AM ET (0809 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, September 15
Elon Musk's Starlink reports service outage, thousands of users affected
Reuters — 1:23 am ET (0523 GMT) What does the loss of U.S. Space Command mean to Colorado Springs?
Denver Post — 1:21 am ET (0521 GMT) SpaceX Launches Northrop Grumman Cargo Ship To ISS
Aviation Week — 1:18 am ET (0518 GMT) SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on Sunday
WESH-TV Orlando — 1:18 am ET (0518 GMT) Apollo 13 made Jim Lovell a legend generations after the space race
The Hill — 1:09 am ET (0509 GMT) |
