The test, carried out at the Space Systems Processing Facility, confirmed the durability of the spacecraft, named Tenacity, under the extreme noise and vibration conditions experienced during a rocket launch. It marks an important step as the vehicle prepares for its first flight to low-Earth orbit.
Engineers used a powerful array of 90 stacked speakers to replicate the intense acoustic environment of launch. The spaceplane was positioned with its wings folded, matching the configuration it will use when enclosed inside a rocket fairing. The trial verified both the structural integrity of the vehicle and the resilience of its onboard electronic systems.
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser program manager, Dr Dan Polis, said the result reinforces the spacecraft’s potential across a range of missions.
“Dream Chaser offers a genuinely transformative capability for both civil and national security space operations,” he said. “Its ability to carry a mix of payloads, combined with reusability and runway landings, makes it well suited to time-critical missions.”
The program has already ticked off a series of milestones, including electromagnetic interference testing, high-speed ground tow trials, and recovery rehearsals following landing. It has also successfully demonstrated communications with mission control via NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.
With acoustic testing now complete, the spaceplane has been returned to Colorado for final upgrades tailored to its inaugural mission.
On its first flight, Dream Chaser will operate as part of NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services-2 program, delivering cargo to support operations in low-Earth orbit.
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