Every part onboard Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) Dream Chaser spacecraft is carefully selected, chosen from amongst competitors who vie to be a part of the future of space transportation. Everything used must be a paragon, a model of excellence, and so...

One of these such companies is Paragon, which was recently selected by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to provide flight hardware for its Dream Chaser spacecraft. In 2016, NASA selected SNC’s Dream Chaser to transport pressurized and unpressurized cargo to and from the International Space Station (ISS) with return and disposal services.

Rendering of SNC's Dream Chaser Unmanned Cargo Module at ISS with Paragon’s xRAD™ radiators mounted on the vehicle

Paragon will provide the Thermal Control Radiators for the vehicle’s cargo module. The solution will leverage Paragon’s patented Extruded Radiator (xRAD™) technology, a state-of-the-art, cost-effective radiator solution which eliminates the structural and thermal inefficiencies associated with bonded radiators structures.  The xRAD™ technology also increases vehicle integration flexibility and reduces development time, manufacturing risks, and manufacturing costs.  Delivery of flight radiators is to commence in early 2019 with deliveries through 2022.  As a part of the disposable cargo module, the radiators will burn up during reentry at the end of each mission. 
 
Grant Anderson, President & CEO of Paragon said that Paragon’s offering was a result of years of Paragon’s directed internal R&D funding that brought the technique and practical application out of the laboratory and onto the factory floor to benefit their customers that are needing better-value radiator solutions.  This multi-unit and multi-mission order will be just the beginning of a decades-long relationship to provide high quality and competitively priced radiator hardware to Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser family of vehicles. 
 
Earlier this year, SNC successfully passed the third integration milestone for the Dream Chaser under the NASA Commercial Resupply Services (CRS2) program, confirming that the company’s Dream Chaser vehicle can meet NASA requirements for transporting cargo to and from the space station. The reliability of the Dream Chaser design was also thoroughly reviewed as part of NASA’s Phase I Safety Review Process, which successfully demonstrated safety and mission assurance criteria. The reviews covered all stages of mission operations including ground, launch, flight, and landing.
 
Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president of SNC’s Space Systems business area added that SNC is pleased to be working with Paragon on the Dream Chaser program. Their radiator technology is a key component in SNC’s ability to deliver a safe, affordable, flexible and reliable system.