NASA's New Spaceplane Dream Chaser Tenacity Is About to Launch! Everything Finished! [9:24]

YouTube ^ | February 22, 2026 | SpaceX Community

[SunkenCiv]

It's 2026, and if you've been wondering what happened to Dream Chaser Tenacity, you're not alone. For a while, it looked like Sierra Space's lifting-body spaceplane was right on the edge of flying, sitting in Florida, moving through final prep to launch on United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur. Then things went quiet. Now we're finally getting clarity -- and the picture is both promising and complicated... 

NASA's New Spaceplane Dream Chaser Tenacity Is About to Launch! Everything Finished! | 9:24 
SpaceX Community | 69.2K subscribers | 80,309 views | February 22, 2026

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TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: dreamchaser; nasa; spaceplane; tenacity

[SunkenCiv]

YouTube transcript reformatted at textformatter.ai *may* follow.

[SunkenCiv]

Bad motor scooter...

[SunkenCiv]

...Dream Chaser was always different. Inspired by NASA's HL-20 concept and shaped like a mini shuttle, it's built to launch vertically and land on a runway. No ocean splashdowns. No saltwater corrosion. Just wheels down at Kennedy or Vandenberg with delicate payloads ready to be offloaded within hours. For ISS cargo, biotech, and national security missions, that's a huge advantage.

But as 2026 unfolds, the biggest story isn't just about the vehicle -- it's about timing, certification, and what rocket it will actually fly on. Let's start with where things stand right now. According to recent NASA comments, Dream Chaser Tenacity is still in final assembly and certification work. The two biggest focus areas? Software certification and propulsion system validation. That lines up with what ISS Program Manager Dana Weigel said publicly: end-to-end software testing is ongoing, and propulsion certification is still being worked through. That's not trivial.

Dream Chaser's reaction control system includes 26 thrusters operating in multiple thrust modes, including a high-test peroxide monopropellant mode and a bipropellant configuration using kerosene for higher impulse burns. It's a complex architecture designed for reusability and "green" ground handling, but complexity equals testing time.

In early 2026, Sierra Space continued subsystem validation work, including thermal vacuum testing on deployable radiator panels under NASA's commercial capability initiatives. That's important because thermal management is everything in orbit. If you want multi-day free-flight demonstrations or extended cargo missions, your radiator system better survive extreme hot-cold cycles. The recent TVAC campaign validated performance models, which is a quiet but critical milestone.

At Kennedy Space Center, Tenacity has also gone through high-speed tow tests on the Shuttle Landing Facility runway. These aren't flashy rocket engine firings -- but they matter. The tests simulate landing dynamics, verify structural integrity, and validate autonomous guidance systems. Remember, Dream Chaser doesn't have a pilot. It comes home fully autonomous, lining itself up on a runway like a robotic glider from orbit. That demands serious flight software maturity.

Here's where things shifted strategically. In late 2025, NASA and Sierra Space modified the CRS-2 contract. Instead of locking in a minimum number of ISS cargo missions right away, the focus moved toward a free-flight demonstration mission targeted for late 2026. That's huge. Rather than immediately docking with the ISS, Dream Chaser will likely spend days in orbit testing systems independently before attempting any station interface. It's a lower-risk way to prove the spacecraft without tying its maiden voyage to ISS scheduling pressures.

[butlerweave]

Is this one just for Cargo ?

[The Antiyuppie]

I really hope that this works.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

"Space X Community" says of itself: "This channel is NOT AFFLIATED with SpaceX in anyway."

[Jonty30]

I hope it doesn’t blow-up real good.

[Sirius Lee]

Heck that old bucket of bolts is a dynasoar in today’s world.

[OldHarbor]

Inspired by NASA’s HL-20 concept.

I thought I recognized the shape, I couldn’t remember the designation .

[Carry_Okie]

It’s awfully small. One wonders about the value of the potential missions to justify the development expense. If it is autonomous, is it also to transport people to and from a station?

[TexasGator]

“It’s awfully small. “

Not small when coupled to a cargo module and sitting atop a Vulcan rocket.

[Carry_Okie]

Not small when coupled to a cargo module and sitting atop a Vulcan rocket.

I have not followed this program. What "cargo module"? What I read didn't mention one. Is this a "space tug"?

[Steely Tom]

Heck that old bucket of bolts is a dynasoar in today’s world.

Clever!

[nicollo]

I thought I recognized the shape, I couldn’t remember the designation .

I recognized the shape immediately...

Flipper

[fella]

The between Space-X and NASA is the governmental red tape.

[Vaduz]

Great idea faster pay loads and more room they need a few more for a back to back operations.

[SunkenCiv]

Great way to move a larger group of people up or down, probably faster recycling time as well. Unlikely to exceed the current capsules for payload capacity because more of the mass budget goes into the wing structures. If I were an astronaut (and I'm not sure there's a booster than could hoist my big behind into orbit at this point) I think I'd prefer a runway landing.

[Vaduz]

Runway landing safer and more options indeed.

[SunkenCiv]

Probably faster turnaround as well. The Shuttle landed for years at Edwards and had to be piggybacked to the Cape for reconditioning for another launch. Eventually a runway was built at the Cape to receive its landings. Since the Shuttle was years behind schedule, it's a bit of a wonder that the runway wasn't built and ready at the beginning.