Sierra Space

Sierra Space, established in 2021 as a spin-off from Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Space Systems division, focuses on commercial space development. As of December 2024, it was developing the Dream Chaser, claimed to be the world’s first commercial spaceplane and the only winged reusable spaceplane, with a low 1.5 g-force re-entry designed for crew and cargo transport. Despite delays announced by United Launch Alliance (ULA) in June 2024, Sierra Space had plans to launch the first Dream Chaser by late 2024.

As of December 2024, the company was also developing the Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) habitat, an inflatable three-story commercial habitation and science platform designed for low Earth orbit. It supports four astronauts and features facilities for science, exercise, medical care, and food production. In July 2024, the LIFE module passed its second full-scale burst test, with plans for standalone testing of a 500 m³ module by 2025.

Key customers and partnerships

In October 2021, Sierra Space and Blue Origin announced that the companies were developing Orbital Reef, a commercial space station, backed by players including Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University. Orbital Reef was to be a commercially developed, owned, and operated space station to be built in low Earth orbit. The Dream Chaser and LIFE Habitat are critical components for Orbital Reef. In October 2022, the company signed an MOU with IBM to collaborate on space technology and software platforms for its spacecraft and infrastructure. Sierra Space partnered with Keystone Space Collaborative in November 2022, to advance space economy and for the development of Orbital Reef.

In February 2023, the company entered a five-year MOU with the University of Notre Dame to pursue space-based research in low-Earth orbit. The partnership covers R&D payload identification, microgravity experimentation, and the design of hardware to support experiments and commercial applications of the results. Furthermore, in April 2023, Sierra Space entered a long-term strategic partnership with ILC Dover to accelerate the development of next-generation space infrastructure. Sierra Space also partnered with Redwire in August 2023 for the development of a biotech experiment platform that would be installed on its LIFE inflatable module.

In July 2024, Sierra Space partnered with MUFG Bank Ltd. and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd, along with existing partners Oita Prefecture, Kanematsu Corporation, and Japan Airlines to explore the potential for a landing spaceport in Oita, Japan.