Dream Chaser
Uncrewed, reusable spaceplane that launches on a rocket and glides back to a runway landing. Its first vehicle, Tenacity, is built to carry cargo to and from the ISS for NASA.
Why it matters
Most cargo craft burn up on reentry or splash into the ocean. A runway landing at low g-forces means sensitive experiments can be handed back to researchers about an hour after touchdown, and the vehicle can fly again.
How the technology works
Dream Chaser rides to orbit folded inside a 5 m rocket fairing, with an expendable Shooting Star cargo module behind it. Sierra Space says it carries up to about 8,000 lb up to the ISS and returns about 2,245 lb to Earth, reentering at about 1.5 g.
The first mission is planned as a free-flying test that simulates ISS berthing.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction