"Dream Chaser will not be part of NASA's push to return to the moon, as there is little use for aerodynamic flight on the airless moon. Despite its decades in development, the space plane has yet to reach space, and the rise of reusable conventional rockets has undercut much of its notional utility."
"NASA's space shuttle program, which flew 135 orbital missions between 1981 and 2011, transformed the dream of space planes into reality. However, the program ended due to high costs and safety concerns following the Challenger and Columbia disasters."
"Dream Chaser's first flight to space is now targeted for an unspecified date later this year, but its path to launch has been very long, originating from NASA's HL-20 Personnel Launch System developed in the 1980s."
Dream Chaser, a commercial U.S. space plane, was not mentioned in NASA's recent plans for lunar exploration. Its aerodynamic design is unsuitable for the moon, and it has not yet reached space. The rise of reusable rockets has diminished its utility. However, there is a possibility for Dream Chaser to dock with the International Space Station. Originally developed by NASA in the 1980s, the project was later taken over by SpaceDev. Its first flight is targeted for an unspecified date later this year.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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