Sierra Nevada Corporation Announces Expansion of German Aerospace Center Partnership
SPARKS, Nev., September 28, 2017 – Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today, expanding its relationship with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for further collaboration on space initiatives.
The MOU provides a framework for the two organizations to cooperate in space-related technologies and transportation utilizing the Dream Chaser® spacecraft and space habitats.
“SNC has greatly appreciated and benefited from our existing relationship with DLR, and this MOU underscores how much we value their technology, innovation and contributions to space,” said Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president of SNC’s Space Systems business area.
SNC is working on future space initiatives using its Dream Chaser spacecraft, a versatile, multi-mission vehicle for low-Earth orbit (LEO), and also in the area of long-duration habitat designs. As a prime contractor on NASA’s NextSTEP-2 program SNC is developing architectures for a Cislunar Deep Space Gateway.
DLR, in conjunction with German industrial companies, has produced a variety of technologies, hardware, software and services that support crewed and uncrewed space missions. The organization is also developing concepts for future space habitats such as the Orbital-Hub concept for an International Space Station progression and follow-on in LEO.
The current MOU follows a 2013 Technical Understanding between the parties that initiated cooperation on space activities. This new agreement allows the two entities to establish goals and baseline objectives on future missions, scientific contributions and future space architecture for LEO, Cislunar and lunar operations, and deep space exploration.
About Dream Chaser Spacecraft
Owned and operated by SNC, the Dream Chaser spacecraft is a reusable, multi-mission space utility vehicle. It is capable of transportation services to and from low-Earth orbit, where the International Space Station resides, and is the only commercial, lifting-body vehicle capable of a runway landing. The Dream Chaser Cargo System was selected by NASA to provide cargo delivery and disposal services to the Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS2) contract. All Dream Chaser CRS2 cargo missions are planned to land at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility.
About Sierra Nevada Corporation
Recognized as one of “The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space,” Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) provides customer-focused advanced technology solutions in the areas of space, aviation, electronics and systems integration. SNC’s Space Systems business area based in Louisville, Colorado, designs and manufactures advanced spacecraft, space vehicles, rocket motors and spacecraft subsystems and components for the U.S. Government, commercial customers, as well as for the international market. SNC has more than 25 years of space heritage, participating in more than 450 successful space missions and delivering 4,000+ systems, subsystems and components around the world.
For more information on SNC visit www.sncorp.com and follow us at Facebook.com/SierraNevCorp and Twitter @SierraNevCorp. Sierra Nevada Corporation and SNC are trademarks of Sierra Nevada Corporation.
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