LOUISVILLE, Colorado - July 25, 2024 -Sierra Space, a leading commercial space technology company building a platform in space to benefit life on Earth , today announced that its expandable space station technology has successfully completed a seventh major validation test and a second large-scale structural test at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The results mark a giant leap toward building the world’s first end-to-end business and technology platform in Low Earth Orbit, enabling humanity to find answers to some of Earth’s toughest problems.

The completion of the successful Ultimate Burst Pressure test, which took place on June 18 in collaboration with ILC Dover (an Ingersoll Rand Business) and NASA, accelerates Sierra Space’s revolutionary soft goods technology into in-space operations. The technology is planned for a first autonomous Pathfinder mission before the end of the decade and will also be a key element of the commercial space station Orbital Reef. The test completes Milestone #8 for Orbital Reef with Blue Origin under NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program.

“We are 100 percent committed to maintaining U.S. leadership in Low Earth Orbit. Sierra Space is leading the way with the first commercial space station to replace the International Space Station when it retires, ensuring there is no gap in LEO,” said Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Space. “Our revolutionary, expandable space station technology is reinventing the space station. For the first time, our technology will enable the right unit economics that will usher in the full commercialization of space. Our biotech and industrial partners will use our factories of the future to innovate new products that will massively disrupt terrestrial markets and benefit life on Earth.”

The test article in the company historic first full-scale burst test last December peaked at 77 psi, well above (+27%) NASA’s recommended level of 60.8 psi (maximum operating pressure of 15.2 psi multiplied by a safety factor of four). This most recent test in June showed similar results – within five percent of the December test article’s pressure load – reaching 74 psi, exceeding NASA’s 4x safety factor by 22 percent. These back-to-back test results accelerate Sierra Space’s path to flight certification, verifying scalability for structures as small as 10 cubic meters and up to 1,400 cubic meters, based on the company’s current inflatable soft goods architecture. Sierra Space is currently gearing up for an initial test of its 500 cubic meter space station technology next year.

“No other company is moving at the speed of Sierra Space to develop actual hardware that has been stress-tested at full scale and demonstrated repeatability. We took a soft goods system that very few companies in the world have been able to design, and now we have consistent, back-to-back results,” said Shawn Buckley, VP of Earthspace™ Systems, Space Stations, at Sierra Space. “A second successful full-scale test is an absolute game changer. We now know that it is possible to match or exceed the total habitable volume of the entire International Space Station in a single launch.”

The test article again included two four-by-four-foot blanks—metal structures placed inside the softgoods’ casing to simulate a future design component, such as a window, a robotic arm, or an antenna mount. They were 50 pounds lighter than the ones used in the first full-scale test and were designed to accommodate larger windows.

In the ever-evolving landscape of space exploration and commercialization, Sierra Space’s Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE®) technology is a breakthrough concept that will reshape the way humans live and work in space. LIFE is launched aboard a conventional rocket and inflates in orbit. The first LIFE product in the roadmap is a large, three-story, 27-foot diameter structure that comfortably sleeps four astronauts, with additional space for science experiments, fitness equipment, a medical center and an Astro Garden® system that can grow fresh produce for astronauts on long-duration space missions.

About Sierra Space

Sierra Space is a leading commercial space company at the forefront of innovation and commercialization of space in the Orbital Age®, building an end-to-end business and technology platform in space to sustain life on Earth. With more than 30 years of experience and 500 space missions, the company is reinventing space transportation with Dream Hunter®, the world’s only commercial spaceplane, and the future of space destinations with the company’s inflatable and expandable space station technology. Through commercial business models, the company also provides orbital services to commercial, DoD, and national security organizations, expanding manufacturing capacity to meet the needs of constellation programs. Additionally, Sierra Space builds a broad range of systems and subsystems in the areas of solar energy, mechanical and motion control, environmental control, life support, propulsion, and thermal control, providing numerous space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.

Source: Sierra Space

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – Mar. 20, 2024 – Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and emerging defense tech prime building a platform in space to benefit and protect life on Earth, has achieved yet another milestone in space technology by providing the cutting-edge solar technology that powers Sidus Space’s first LizzieSat™ satellite, which successfully launched and deployed to Low Earth Orbit on March 4 as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-10 Rideshare mission.

Sierra Space provided a full shipset of eight deployable solar panels and one top plate to Sidus Space in an extraordinary feat of efficiency, delivering the hardware well ahead of schedule and completing the entire process from contract signing to hardware delivery in just 49 days.

The remarkable accomplishment underscores Sierra Space’s commitment to excellence and innovation in the commercial space industry. The solar panel shipset, tailored to LizzieSat’s unique specifications, included Sierra Space’s proprietary high-density cells mounted onto substrates meticulously crafted by Sierra Space engineers.

“Prior to shipment, rigorous testing ensured the functionality and readiness of the hardware for installation on LizzieSat,” said Rusty Thomas, Chief Technology Officer and SVP/GM of Space Applications at Sierra Space. “The successful collaboration between Sierra Space and Sidus Space exemplifies the spirit of innovation and partnership that drives our industry forward. We had a dedicated working group that swiftly addressed technical performance, cost, schedule and risk factors. This ensured a seamless process from order to delivery in just seven weeks.”

Sierra Space is utilizing high volume electronics manufacturing techniques for automated production of solar arrays using surface-mount-compatible solar cells. The arrays provide higher power density, reduced lead times and unparalleled resilience compared with conventional solar cell technologies. The company performed all tasks at its state-of-the-art facilities in Louisville, CO, and ensured the safe transport of the hardware to Sidus Space’s facility in Cape Canaveral, FL.

Sidus Space recently announced that it received signals from its satellite following the launch. The new satellite is positioned to revolutionize space-based data collection and analysis with its innovative Space Platform with a Purpose™ and FeatherEdge AI integration. The mission aims to broaden Sidus Space’s customer base across military and commercial sectors, offering tailored intelligence solutions for industries such as defense, agriculture, maritime and oil and gas.

About Sierra Space

Sierra Space is a leading commercial space company at the forefront of innovation and the commercialization of space in the Orbital Age®, building an end-to-end business and technology platform in space to benefit life on Earth. With more than 30 years and 500 missions of space flight heritage, the company is reinventing both space transportation with Dream Chaser®, the world’s only commercial spaceplane, and the future of space destinations with the company’s inflatable and expandable space station technology. Using commercial business models, the company is also delivering orbital services to commercial, DoD and national security organizations, expanding production capacity to meet the needs of constellation programs. In addition, Sierra Space builds a host of systems and subsystems across solar power, mechanics and motion control, environmental control, life support, propulsion and thermal control, offering myriad space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.

Sierra Space

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – Mar. 12, 2024 – Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and emerging defense tech prime building a platform in space to benefit and protect life on Earth, announced today the launch of Sierra Space Axelerator™, an innovation-at-speed incubator designed to fast-track the development of revolutionary defense technologies and mission solutions. Axelerator is set to redefine industry standards by delivering cutting-edge products with unprecedented efficiency.

Introducing Sierra Space Ghost: The Future of Space Retrieval

The first marvel to emerge from Axelerator is Sierra Space Ghost, a state-of-the-art space delivery system engineered to safely return objects from space – and through space – directly to precise locations on Earth. Ghost, a low beta reentry vehicle utilizing revolutionary deployable decelerator technology, represents a significant leap forward in space logistics and recovery operations, promising to enhance the sustainability and safety of space. Ghost will be able to deliver payloads anywhere in the world in 90 minutes or less, enabling a highly responsive space-based system without the need for a fixed infrastructure. Remarkably, Ghost transitioned from development to flight testing in just 90 days, showcasing Axelerator’s rapid prototyping and development capabilities.

Introducing Sierra Space Spectre: Revolutionizing Rendezvous and Proximity Operations

Sierra Space is also unveiling Spectre, a revolutionary satellite designed for precision rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO). Sierra Space Spectre embodies the pinnacle of innovation, equipped to perform complex tasks in the challenging environment of space with unmatched accuracy and flexibility. Scheduled for launch in late 2025, Spectre is poised to set new benchmarks for satellite technology.

Introducing Sierra Black OS: A New Era of AI-Enabled Operating Systems

The third breakthrough announced today from Sierra Space’s Axelerator incubator is Sierra Black OS, an advanced AI-enabled operating system that will have the ability to operate across space, air and ground systems seamlessly. The inaugural release, STAR (Sierra Toolkit for Autonomous Rendezvous), an RPO software module, exemplifies the system’s capabilities, offering unparalleled operational intelligence and autonomy for space missions. Sierra Black OS and STAR are set to revolutionize how space operations are conducted.

“With Axelerator, Sierra Space is not just imagining the future. We are actively building it,” said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice. “Our new products – Ghost, Spectre and Sierra Black OS – are a testament to our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and driving innovation at the speed of thought. We are proud to contribute to the defense sector with technologies that will shape the future for decades to come.”

The Axelerator incubator is part of Sierra Space’s Orbital Missions and Services group, founded in 2023 to focus on revolutionary new national security solutions. Since standing up the organization, Sierra Space has been awarded $1.3 billion in prime satellite constellations contracts. In January 2024, the company was awarded a $740 million prime contract by the Space Development Agency for 18 Tranche 2 satellites to accelerate the capabilities to provide global, persistent indications, detection, warning and tracking of conventional and advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems.

Sierra Space’s Orbital Missions and Services has started a new chapter in defense technology, one where innovation, speed, affordability and on-orbit schedule reliability converge to create overmatch capability. At a time when the adversaries of the United States and its allies are significantly increasing their hostile aggressions around the world, Sierra Space is dedicated to innovating at speed to accelerate affordable national security solutions.

About Sierra Space

Sierra Space is a leading commercial space company at the forefront of innovation and the commercialization of space in the Orbital Age®, building an end-to-end business and technology platform in space to benefit life on Earth. With more than 30 years and 500 missions of space flight heritage, the company is reinventing both space transportation with Dream Chaser®, the world’s only commercial spaceplane, and the future of space destinations with the company’s inflatable and expandable space station technology. Using commercial business models, the company is also delivering orbital services to commercial, DoD and national security organizations, expanding production capacity to meet the needs of constellation programs. In addition, Sierra Space builds a host of systems and subsystems across solar power, mechanics and motion control, environmental control, life support, propulsion and thermal control, offering myriad space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.

Source: Sierra Space

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – Jan. 22, 2024 – Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company building the first end-to-end business and technology platform in space, has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully designing, manufacturing, assembling and testing its first full-scale, expandable space station structure, alongside exclusive softgoods technology partner ILC Dover.

By the Numbers:

• Company’s first stress test of a full-size, inflatable space station structure
• Test unit stood over 20’ tall and was comparable in size to an average family home
• The article was 300 m³ in volume, or 1/3rd the volume of the Intl. Space Station
• Test results exceeded NASA’s recommended x4 safety levels by 27%

The pressure shell for Sierra Space’s LIFE™ (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) habitat is made of expandable “softgoods,” or woven fabrics that perform like a rigid structure once inflated. During an Ultimate Burst Pressure (UBP) test, the teams inflate the test article until it fails, which helps determine how strong its softgoods materials would be under extreme stresses in the harsh environment of space. The full-scale unit in this test reached 77 psi before it burst, which well exceeds (+27%) NASA’s recommended level of 60.8 psi (maximum operating pressure of 15.2 psi multiplied by a safety factor of four).

The achievement underscores Sierra Space’s commitment to advancing the cutting-edge design and development of commercial space stations and positions the company well ahead of its global competitors. The company’s expandable technology provides for on-orbit infrastructure volume greater than 5x the fairing volume used to transport the system to orbit.

“We are driving the reinvention of the space station that will shape a new era of humanity’s exploration and discovery in Low Earth Orbit and beyond. Sierra Space’s inflatable space station technology offers the absolute largest in-space pressured volume, the best unit economics per on-orbit volume and lowest launch and total operating costs,” said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice. “Having the best unit economics positions Sierra Space as the category leader in microgravity research and product development, providing customers with the most attractive return on their investment.”

Sierra Space’s LIFE is packed inside a standard five-meter rocket fairing and inflates to the size of a three-story apartment building on orbit. In just three launches, the modular LIFE units can create a living and working environment in space that is larger, volume-wise than the entire International Space Station (ISS). In coming years, the company will iterate on larger designs. A 1400-cubic-meter version, packaged inside a seven-meter rocket fairing, for example, would surpass the size of the ISS in a single launch.

Building upon this successful test, Sierra Space will embark on an aggressive 2024 testing campaign at both sub- and full-scale, including a series of UBP tests in tandem with early-stage development of the primary Atmospheric Barrier and Micrometeoroid Orbital Debris (MMOD) layers.

“Over the past two years, our team has worked tirelessly to reach this point. Working with our key suppliers and strategic partners, Sierra Space has guided our collaborative effort and reached new heights with this latest UBP test,” said Shawn Buckley, Senior Director of Engineering and Chief Technologist of EarthSpace Systems. “We have assembled the expertise and knowledge that is required to propel this amazing technology to the next steps – Low Earth Orbit and beyond.”

The test specifically focused on the LIFE habitat pressure shell – otherwise known as the restraint layer – which is comprised of Vectran straps along with a series of other high-strength fabric materials. Sierra Space, working with its exclusive softgoods technology partner ILC Dover, has specifically designed and tested Vectran straps at the component and sub-scale levels prior to this full-scale test. Vectran is stronger than steel when inflated on-orbit and provides high margins of safety under pressure.

“Our expertise in space softgoods and passion for innovation continue to position ILC Dover and Sierra Space as the leading co-developers of inflatable space habitats,” said Rob Reed, President of Space & Engineered Solutions at ILC Dover. “The successful full-scale burst test is an undeniable leap toward a new reality of how humans live and operate in space, and we are proud to celebrate this milestone as we work to expand humanity’s capabilities in Low Earth Orbit.”

This recent full-scale UBP test was performed with support from NASA via a Reimbursable Space Act Agreement in which NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center provides services to Sierra Space in support of its exploration and commercial Low Earth Orbit technology development and risk reduction activities. This test occurred in Huntsville, Ala., on Redstone Arsenal adjacent to the historic Saturn 1/1B test stand.

About Sierra Space

Sierra Space is a leading commercial space company at the forefront of innovation and the commercialization of space in the Orbital Age®, building an end-to-end business and technology platform in space to benefit life on Earth. With more than 30 years and 500 missions of space flight heritage, the company is reinventing both space transportation with Dream Chaser®, the world’s only commercial spaceplane, and the future of space destinations with the company’s inflatable and expandable space station technology. Highly scalable and flexible, this innovative “softgoods” technology will define a new generation of space stations. Sierra Space also builds and delivers a host of systems and subsystems across solar power, mechanics and motion control, environmental control, life support, propulsion and thermal control, offering myriad space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.

Source: Sierra Space