中村広ニ Kouji Nakamura

JUST IN: The FAA has issued Sierra Space a reentry license for Dream Chaser, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for America's reusable spaceplane ahead of its planned first flight in 2027. The license authorizes Dream Chaser to return from space and land on a runway at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Unlike traditional space capsules that parachute into the ocean or onto land, Dream Chaser is designed to return from orbit and land horizontally like an aircraft. The spacecraft is intended to carry cargo and other payloads to and from orbit, with a pressurized cargo capacity of up to 12,000 pounds. Its ability to land on a conventional runway could eventually allow time-sensitive experiments and other payloads to be recovered and transported soon after returning from space. Sierra Space is targeting spring 2027 for Dream Chaser's inaugural flight.