4 ms·

Interesting that Sierra Nevada Corp's space plane looks so similar to the USSR Spiral

• stetrain 6y ago
  The SNC Dream Chaser is based on several previous US designs, which probably involved some back-and-forth responding to what the USSR was doing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HL-20_Personnel_Launch_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HL-20_Personnel_Launch_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-20_Dyna-Soar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-20_Dyna-Soar
  • imglorp 6y ago
    If you want a lifting body with a high AOA reentry, maneuverable approach, and runway landing, then the physics probably dictates everyone converging on similar shapes. Also in this group: Buran, Shuttle, and X37.
    • sandworm101 6y ago
      >> Also in this group: Buran, Shuttle Buran/shuttle were more than just lifting bodies. They had the large wings necessary for cross-range flight, something more than just landing. This was needed for military single-overflight mission profiles that were never flown.
  • monocasa 6y ago
    I've heard from drunk MechEs working at SNC that Dream Chaser is a blatantly soviet design, down to measurements making way more sense in metric than the imperial that they use.
• bri3d 6y ago
  https://www.denverpost.com/2016/02/26/sierra-nevadas-dream-chaser-derived-from-lost-soviet-space-plane/ https://www.denverpost.com/2016/02/26/sierra-nevadas-dream-c... https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a19029/nasas-next-gen-iss-ship-is-a-decades-old-soviet-project/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a19029/nasas-next-gen... https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/01/nasas-newest-cargo-spacecraft-began-life-as-a-soviet-space-plane/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/01/nasas-newest-cargo-s...