Dream Chaser Spacecraft Flight Control Verification System

Project Type: Atmospheric flight control system for Dream Chaser® spacecraft

Customer: Sierra Nevada Corp. and Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®)

Dynamometer: Seven 10kW AccuDyne AC Motoring Dynamometers

Control System: DynoLAB

Other Equipment: MIL STD-1553 B Avionics Communication BUS

The Dream Chaser® is a lifting-body, reusable, crewed or uncrewed horizontal-landing vehicle designed to service the International Space Station (ISS). Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC)  designed it as a space utility vehicle for low-Earth orbit. SAKOR Technologies developed a test system for Southwest Research Institute® to test the Dream Chaser’s atmospheric flight control system. The system characterizes overall design performance as well as dynamic response to physical forces typically experienced in standard and extreme flight conditions. The Dream Chaser spacecraft features seven control surfaces and SAKOR’s test system features seven dynamometers, each simulating dynamic loads on a specific control surface. The DynoLAB system controls the entire test stand, acting as a spacecraft emulator, as well as simulating force feedback from each control surface. DynoLAB communicates directly with the atmospheric flight control system via MIL-STD-1553B bus.