It happened! NASA's New Space Plane Got A Big Problem...

for any vehicle or organization in the Aerospace industry failing to reach orbit is always a significant setback unfortunately Dreamchaser one of this year's most anticipated Vehicles is experiencing just that amidst numerous current challenges Dreamchasers Nal flight may not occur in the near future and in the worst case scenario not even this year so what what led to Dreamchaser facing this situation and how will this impact its standing in the Space Race stay tuned as we delve into these questions on today's episode of great SpaceX as mentioned before Dreamchaser is one of the most eagerly awaited debut Vehicles this year originally scheduled to launch in April it's now July and it still hasn't flown recently following considerable controversy surrounding the c 2 mission Ula decided not to launch Dreamchaser on the upcoming Mission instead Vulcan will carry a dummy payload this decision was previously considered and approved by the Pentagon the primary aim is for Ula to quickly obtain certification to launch payloads for the ussf and the government which is ula's main Market this is a major disappointment for Dreamchaser enthusiasts following the success of Vulcan c one hopes were high for dreamchaser's launch on Vulcan a successful launch would have meant Ula obtaining certification and Sierra space deploying their vehicle for the first time time the disappointment is compounded by the fact that other long delayed Vehicles such as Vulcan Starliner and most recently Aran 6 have all made specific progress this delay poses a significant setback for Dreamchaser in the future Space Race in fact many including myself didn't pay much attention to this delay initially as Dreamchasers testing process went quite smoothly and yielded positive results testing began at NASA's Neil Armstrong test facility after production was completed in November of 2023 however this smooth testing process also contributed to Dreamchaser falling behind schedule by April the original sech to deadline the testing process had not yet finished this led to the decision to postpone the mission to the end of the year by the end of May Dreamchaser tenacity was delivered to Florida but significant preparation remained before launch clearly the stringent schedules for launching military and government payloads leave Ula with little room to wait for Dreamchaser currently it's difficult to pinpoint why Dreamchaser is encountering these challenges as their delays are not rooted in technical issues if I were to speculate I believe it stems from missteps in the collaboration between Ula and Sierra space regarding Ula selecting a developmental vehicle like Dreamchaser as their payload was perhaps not the wisest choice they needed a swift integration process for their rocket operations which dreamchaser's slower development Pace couldn't match conversely dreamchaser's decision to partner with Vulcan as their launch rocket was also problematic at the time of selection Vulcan wasn't yet operational lacking the reliability that Sierra space needed this lack of reliability has been evident in practice Vulcan experienced significant delays compared to its original timeline with this debut Mission only taking place in January of this year similarly to ula's situation Sierra space should have anticipated that once Vulcan became operational its schedule would become tightly packed potentially outpacing dream chaser's development Pace this mismatch has caused scheduling conflicts between both parties under the worst circumstances Dreamchaser may not even launch in 2024 firstly despite the urgency ula's production pce for Vulcan isn't rapid additionally vulcan's Readiness is tied to Blue Origins be4 engine as of now it's July c 2 hasn't launched yet making it uncertain when sir 3 will be ready the prospect of Dreamchaser launching on Sir 3 remains uncertain Ula May prioritize transferring that flight to fulfill payloads under the usf's National Security space launch contract with Delta 4 heavy retired and Atlas 5 having only 16 missions left all accounted for many involving Kyper satellite launches and Starliner missions Vulcan will assume primary responsibility for the ussf contract it already faces a backlog of over 20 missions including critical flights like ussf 106 and 887 scheduled for this year with Phase 2 deadlines looming and Ula just selected for phase three the likelihood of Dreamchaser launching on Vulcan diminishes any unforeseen issues could further delay its launch indefinitely indeed had Dream Chaser made a different choice they might not be facing their current predicament you probably guessed the option I'm referring to SpaceX among all providers SpaceX stands out as the premier launch service provider today currently SpaceX operates Falcon 9 the most frequently launched rocket of the year with a steadily increasing launch Cadence SpaceX can schedule launches within 2 to 3 days and sometimes even within mere hours in addition to customer missions SpaceX frequently launches starlink satellites enabling them to Pivot quickly if unexpected customer needs arise Falcon 9 not only launches frequently but also consistently demonstrates exceptional reliability the last inlight failure occurred in June 2015 highlighting Falcon 99's nearly decade long track record of success this reliability is a strong selling point for even the most demanding customers for more demanding payloads SpaceX offers Falcon heavy although not launched as frequently Falcon heavy boasts a high reliability rate with a perfect success record in conclusion opting for SpaceX would have ensured Sierra space avoids its current predicament currently Dreamchaser remains stationed at the Kennedy Space Center awaiting further launch updates do you believe Dreamchaser will launch this year here share your prediction with a simple yes or no in the comment section down below don't forget to like the video share it and subscribe to the channel to stay updated on what's happening with Dreamchaser Sierra space Ula and especially SpaceX moving on from scheduling challenges let's address the issues encountered during dreamchaser's actual missions once again credit must go to the Sierra space team for their diligent work evident from Dreamchasers successful test results over the past several months however it's crucial to remember that Dreamchaser is still a new vehicle initial phases often reveal unforeseen issues if not meticulously prepared testing and actual flight present vastly different challenges just consider Starliner which successfully launched but now faces difficulties returning this underscores the importance for Sierra space to remain Vigilant against potential issues such as fuel management orat Ruster malfunctions challenges that have plagued Boeing and NASA additionally Dreamchaser must prioritize its Unique Systems like heat shields and wings these systems differ significantly from those used in current spacecraft such as Orion dragon and Starliner dreamchaser's unconventional Landing method relying on these systems for re-entry and executing a Runway Landing akin to an airplane poses significantly greater technical challenges compared to traditional spacecraft Landings any risks stemming from these complexities must be carefully managed therefore with the schedule postponed Sierra space must use this time effectively to prepare thoroughly and prevent issues similar to those faced by Starliner the success of the inaugural Mission will pave the way for numerous future opportunities for this space plane looking ahead these prospects include subsequent flights with upgraded versions alongside the current prototype tenacity Sierra space is finalizing a second cargo prototype reverence at the Dream Factory progress on the third prototype the initial crew model has also begun with Sierra space recently relocating the third shooting star cargo module to the Dream Factory building on the experience gained from tenacity future prototypes aim to streamline production and testing processes thereby averting future schedule delays nevertheless I hold high hopes for Dreamchaser given its unique design Dreamchaser is poised to capture NASA's attention evoking Nostalgia for the space shuttle era in the future it could be chosen for pivotal projects such as ISS resupply missions and the construction of a new space station this promises to inject fresh excitement into the space race with its inherent capabilities Dreamchaser has the potential to compete effectively with other spacecraft like dragon and Starliner once it enters service however achieving dominance in the Space Race will prove extremely challenging if not impossible for Dreamchaser at this juncture given SpaceX dragon's established dominant position SpaceX has achieved significant Milestones with 13 crew flights and 30 cargo missions benchmarks that Dreamchaser may require many more years to match in contrast surpassing a competitor like Starliner remains a plausible goal for the Sierra Space Team it represents a realistic Target that they can aim for hopefully they will swiftly resolve their current challenges and devise coherent plans and road maps for their space plane thereby enriching the space race in the years ahead come on Dreamchaser give spacex's Dragon a challenge well folks that's about it for today's episode thank you so much for tuning in and as always this has been Kevin from great SpaceX until next time keep looking up