Sierra Space, a leading commercial aerospace and defense technology company building a platform in space to benefit life on Earth ® , today announced new initiatives to advance the research and development of biopharmaceutical solutions in low Earth orbit during the inaugural mission of the Dream Chaser spaceplane to the International Space Station (ISS). Plans include conducting experiments to identify novel ways to deliver cancer therapies to patients on Earth, in collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.

The collaboration highlights why Dream Chaser is designed for a smooth return to Earth with the ability to land on commercial runways at less than 1.5g, a capability that allows for safe return of experiments without rough splashdowns in the ocean or hard landings in the desert. Dream Chaser’s ability to land on runways also provides rapid access to offload critical cargo from the spaceplane, a key advantage when handling sensitive biopharmaceutical materials.

“We know there are great benefits to conducting science experiments in low Earth orbit, but we also need to safely return the results of these experiments to Earth,” said Paul Reichert, principal investigator at Merck. “Dream Chaser’s ability to safely return payloads from the ISS laboratory via the same runway as a commercial aircraft will significantly increase the survivability of these delicate materials and hopefully accelerate the advancement of critical treatments.”

One of the research initiatives being undertaken in collaboration with Merck is the investigation of experimental formulations of monoclonal antibody therapies for cancer. This research is focused on exploiting the effects of microgravity to develop high-concentration amorphous suspensions, paving the way for improved methods of therapeutic drug delivery. For example, new formulations could allow injections to be administered subcutaneously rather than via intravenous transfusion. Other potential benefits include the creation of therapies with greater stability, potentially allowing for storage without the need for refrigeration.All of this is made possible by the Merck Formulation Research Platform that will ride on Dream Chaser. The Merck Formulation Research Platform was developed in collaboration with the Merck 3D Printing Department and Sierra Space.

This is the first announcement of a commercial contract partner for Sierra Space’s upcoming Dream Chaser mission, highlighting the spaceplane’s payload “rideshare” capabilities. The cargo will also include NASA supplies for astronauts currently aboard the space station.

Sierra Space recently completed and achieved the Joint Test 10B milestone in collaboration with NASA on Dream Chaser, giving it the ability to power, cool and exchange data with powered payloads in the pressurized cabin. This included testing cold storage payloads carrying scientific material.

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 over 30 years and 500 missions of space heritage, the company is reinventing both space transportation with Dream Hunter® , the world’s only commercial spacecraft, and the future of space destinations with the company’s inflatable and expandable space station technology. Using commercial business models, the company also provides orbital services to commercial, DoD, and national security organizations, and is 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, and offers numerous space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.

Source: Sierra Space

LOUISVILLE, Colorado – February 12, 2025 –Sierra Space, Inc., a leading commercial aerospace and defense technology company building a platform in space to benefit life on Earth® , today announced the successful completion of the test campaign for its fully integrated VR35K-A upper stage engine, commissioned by the Rocket Propulsion Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Edwards, Air Force Base, Calif. This marks a significant step forward in Sierra Space’s development of advanced propulsion systems.

Additionally, the company has been awarded a $16 million firm-fixed-price contract by AFRL to continue development of upper-stage engines to fulfill future National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions. This is a follow-up toa contract worth more than $22 million awarded to Sierra Space in July 2023 by the Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The VR35K-A is a high-performance liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid hydrogen (LH2) engine that utilizes a fuel-rich staged combustion cycle, innovative turbopump architecture, and a VORTEX® combustor to produce 35,000 lbf of thrust with higher performance than any engine currently on the market. Sierra Space’s patented VORTEX technology enables efficient and stable combustion while providing active cooling to the combustor, delivering high performance and reliability.

Other key features of the VR35K-A include: Simplified Operation: A single-shaft turbopump design for streamlined functionality, including startup and shutdown. Mechanically linked ratio control: ensures precise balance between fuel and oxidizer. Additive manufacturing: reducing production costs and lead times for complex components.

“Our powerful new upper stage engine, the VR35K-A, represents a breakthrough advancement in propulsion technology, leveraging Sierra Space’s patented VORTEX engine design to achieve unprecedented efficiency, reliability and affordability,” said Dan Polis, Vice President of Engineering Solutions and Propulsion Systems at Sierra Space. “We are delivering high performance, reduced complexity and significant cost savings with this revolutionary new product, allowing our customers and partners to deliver up to 30% more payload mass to space. This engine is a testament to our company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of space commercialization with advanced, scalable solutions.”

“Kratos is a leader in propulsion technology, committed to the rapid development, demonstration and deployment of innovative solutions,” said Stacey Rock, President of Kratos’ Turbine Technologies Division. “Our philosophy is to collaborate with industry leaders who share our mission to bring advanced technologies and capabilities to market quickly and cost-effectively. This partnership with Sierra Space has proven to be very successful and is a cornerstone of our long-term strategic initiatives.”

Sierra Space’s VR35K-A engine will address a critical industry need in supporting larger payload deliveries to low Earth orbit and beyond. Sierra Space is also applying its VORTEX combustion chamber technology to engines and thrusters to support in-space propulsion for spacecraft maneuvering in orbit and extraterrestrial landers. For example, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser ® spacecraft uses VORTEX in its reaction control system thrusters.

In 2023, Sierra Space announced that the VR35K-A had completed engine component testing, allowing the company to move on to a full engine hot fire test campaign. Sierra Space will then continue to develop its higher-stage engine technology as it moves into a more extensive qualification phase.

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 benefit life on Earth. With over 30 years and 500 missions of space heritage, the company is reinventing both space transportation with Dream Hunter®, the world’s only commercial spacecraft, and the future of space destinations with the company’s inflatable and expandable space station technology. Using commercial business models, the company also provides orbital services to commercial, DoD, and national security organizations, and is 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, and offers numerous space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.

Source: Sierra Space

LOUISVILLE, Colorado – January 16, 2025 – Sierra Space, Inc., a leading commercial aerospace and defense technology company building a platform in space to benefit life on Earth® and protect economic freedom in the Orbital Age®, today announced a significant development milestone for the company’s Resilient GPS (R-GPS) program, marked by the successful completion of the Systems Requirements Review (SRR). The completion of the SRR follows the program’s September launch and marks a significant moment for Sierra Space’s national security program, whose ultimate goal is to benefit civilians and military operations by protecting America’s satellites.

GPS technology relies on satellite infrastructure, supporting everything from ride-sharing apps and civilian food delivery to critical navigation for military and defense operations. However, the increasing sophistication of hostile threats, such as jamming and spoofing, requires advances in GPS resiliency. The U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) R-GPS program aims to address these challenges by integrating proliferating small satellites into the existing GPS architecture. Sierra Space’s expertise in small satellite technology and rapid deployment provides a competitive advantage in achieving this goal.

“The successful Systems Requirements Review of our R-GPS program is a testament to Sierra Space technology and a notable commercial milestone for our DoD customers,” said Erik Daehler, Vice President of Defense, Satellites & Spacecraft Systems at Sierra Space. “We focus on efficiency and speed of development to outpace adversaries. The rapid two-month turnaround time from launch of the R-GPS program to this next step in development is exactly the speed at which commercial space companies should move. We look forward to the next phase of our R-GPS program and putting our satellite technology in orbit.”

Sierra Space announced a “Quick Start” in SeptemberR-GPS contract awardedby the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command to produce design concepts for smaller, more cost-effective GPS satellites. Sierra Space was selected for this inaugural award for its innovative and integrated commercial concepts. The R-GPS program has been expedited under the "Quick Start" authority granted by Congress under Section 229 of the National Defense Authorization Act. This authority allows for rapid response to emerging threats or technologies, enabling the U.S. Space Force to initiate new programs more quickly.

GPS is vital to everything from financial markets to civilian navigation,” said Lt. Col. Justin Deifel, head of the U.S. Space Force’s R-GPS program. “It’s a utility, just like water or electricity, and we need to make sure it’s resilient for civilians and warfighters so they have access to GPS when they need it most.”

Sierra Space’s strategic involvement in the R-GPS program underscores its commitment to delivering innovative, high-impact satellite solutions for defense applications. By leveraging its expertise in small satellite technology, rapid deployment capabilities, and advanced signal processing, Sierra Space aims to play a critical role in strengthening U.S. national security.

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 benefit life on Earth. With over 30 years and 500 missions of space heritage, the company is reinventing both space transportation with Dream Hunter®, the world’s only commercial spacecraft, and the future of space destinations with the company’s inflatable and expandable space station technology. Using commercial business models, the company also provides orbital services to commercial, DoD, and national security organizations, and is 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, and offers numerous space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.

Source: Sierra Space

LOUISVILLE, Colorado – 4 december 2024 –Sierra Space, a leading commercial aerospace and defense technology company building a platform in space to benefit life on Earth®, today announced two new agreements to further advance the development of manufacturing in the microgravity environments of low Earth orbit (LEO).

Under new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Sierra Space will collaborate with both California-based Astral Materials and Florida-based Space Forge Inc, the U.S. subsidiary of U.K.-based Space Forge Limited, on a broad range of semiconductor technologies. Astral Materials uses the microgravity environment of space to grow ultra-high-quality semiconductor crystals for advanced chip technologies. Space Forge uses free-flying manufacturing facilities to produce next-generation materials for commercial industries, national security, and research.

By working with these new partners, Sierra Space is creating opportunities to scale the commercial space industry by leveraging new technologies, ultimately powering the new LEO economy. “At Sierra Space, our mission is to create a LEO economy that benefits life on Earth, and these new agreements bring us one step closer,” said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice. “To create a strong space economy, we need to harness microgravity, and to do that, it’s important to build relationships with commercial companies that have the best expertise in their respective technology fields to develop new solutions and achieve a common goal.”

The MOU with Silicon Valley-based Astral Materials outlines collaboration on several projects, including those related to Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser® spaceplane, which could include payload logistics for orbital missions, as well as input on the design, development, installation and integration of advanced materials and semiconductor manufacturing payloads. Additionally, Astral Materials may work with Sierra Space to provide input on design and operational aspects of Sierra Space’s space station technology.

“Astral Materials produces materials that cannot be made on Earth,” said Dr. Jessica Frick, CEO and co-founder of Astral Materials. “Our technology uses microgravity as a manufacturing tool that is only accessible in space. Our philosophy is to collaborate with space industry leaders, like Sierra Space, who are already solving the infrastructure challenges of building a robust economy in space. This collaboration with Sierra Space is an exciting opportunity that allows us to focus on our strength: microgravity crystal growth.”

Sierra Space and Space Forge plan to collaborate on both research and development and proof-of-concept missions involving semiconductor materials, components, and related technologies to enable in-space manufacturing. The MOU with Space Forge also includes potential input into Sierra Space’s future space stations in terms of manufacturing facility design and operational concepts. “Part of our mission is to ensure U.S. economic and national security through sustainable and repeatable research and production of semiconductor materials,” said Michelle Flemming, President of Space Forge Inc. “Partnering with Sierra Space, a progressive leader in the aerospace industry with a successful track record, will make that a reality.”

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 benefit life on Earth. With over 30 years and 500 missions of space heritage, the company is reinventing both space transportation with Dream Hunter®, the world’s only commercial spacecraft, and the future of space destinations with the company’s inflatable and expandable space station technology. Using commercial business models, the company also provides orbital services to commercial, DoD, and national security organizations, and is 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, and offers numerous space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.

About Space Forge

Space Forge Inc. is dedicated to using space as a unique laboratory environment to produce advanced semiconductor materials that cannot be produced on Earth. By leveraging the benefits of space access and advanced materials manufacturing, Space Forge Inc. plans to revolutionize the U.S. semiconductor industry and support the nation's technological and economic goals.

Source: Sierra Space