Last time we talked about the next generation of military space shuttles – the American Boeing X-37, its Chinese counterpart Shenlong/Reusable experimental spacecraft and the very similar in design Indian Pushpak vehicle, created as part of the RLV Technology Demonstration Programme. This time we will talk about civilian space shuttles that are under development, and some of which are even preparing for launch in the near future. And we will start with the Dream Chaser project, because it is supposed to go into space as part of the SSC Demo-1 test mission this year.
Dream Chaser (USA)
Development of the Dream Chaser began in 2004 at SpaceDev, a company founded by former computer engineer and successful entrepreneur James Benson. SpaceDev was developing a hybrid rocket engine for the SpaceShipOne suborbital space plane, the same one built by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and aerospace genius Bert Rutan. SpaceShipOne reached space in 2004, won the Ansari X Prize, and went on hiatus, and James Benson decided to continue his work with Dream Chaser.
The design of the Dream Chaser's lift-generating hull is believed to be inspired by the HL-20 Personnel Launch System, a spacecraft developed by NASA in the 1990s that was intended to be used, among other things, as a rescue shuttle for the ISS.
The Russians will happily tell you that the HL-20 is just a copy of the BOR-4, a large-scale prototype orbital aircraft, part of the Soviet military system "Spiral". By the way, during 1980-1984, the BOR-4 even visited orbit four times under the names Kosmos-1374, 1445, 1517 and 1614. But things did not go further, the USSR was approaching collapse and the "Spiral" project was closed.
In fact, "Spiral" is a Soviet copy/response to the US military program Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar, which started back in October 1957 (!). The USSR was catching up and was very behind in the development of shuttles. And the USA had enough of its own experiments with aircraft and spacecraft with a body that creates lifting force: Northrop M2-F2 (1966–1967), Northrop M2-F3 (1970–1972), Northrop HL-10 (1966–1970), Martin Marietta X-24 (1963–1975), Martin X-23 PRIME (1966–1967), etc. So only the USSR copied here.
SpaceDev presented the Dream Chaser project in September 2004, and in April 2007, it reached an agreement with United Launch Alliance to use the Atlas V as a launch vehicle. Unlike the Boeing X-37B, the SpaceDev shuttle was not to take off under a fairing, but directly on top of the rocket, just as the Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar was planned to be launched at one time.
James Benson planned to use two different versions of the Dream Chaser for both orbital and tourist suborbital flights. But the entrepreneur died unexpectedly in 2008, and SpaceDev, along with the small shuttle project, became part of Sierra Nevada Corporation, a company that has been operating in the aerospace market since 1963. A new business unit, Sierra Space Corporation, was created in 2021, which deals specifically with the Dream Chaser shuttles, the LIFE inflatable orbital module projects, and the Orbital Reef orbital station (together with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin).
In 2010, Sierra Nevada Corporation applied to participate in the Commercial Crew Program, a program for the creation of commercial manned spacecraft. At that time, five companies participated in the program, but only two proposed their own ships - Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SNC Dream Chaser. In the second phase in 2011, SpaceX joined the competition with Dragon 2, which would later be called Crew Dragon.
Dream Chaser successfully passed the first phases of the program, including Commercial Crew integrated Capability (full concept, including ship, launch vehicle, ground operations, control, emergency operations, etc.) and Certification Products Contract (engineering standards, tests, analytics) in 2012. Tests began, including the first free flight of the Dream Chaser Eagle on October 26, 2012, which was dropped from an Erickson S-64E Skycrane helicopter. Former NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle pilot Colonel Lee Joseph Archambault joined Sierra Nevada as a test pilot.
In January 2014, SNC announced a contract with ULA to use an Atlas V launch vehicle for a test orbital launch of Dream Chaser in 2016. The first manned mission was scheduled for 2017.
But unexpectedly, in September 2014, NASA did not include Sierra Nevada Corporation's proposal in the next phase of the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability, which involved building the ship itself and launching the first launches, leaving only the Boeing CST-100 Starliner (as we now know, this was a big mistake) and SpaceX Crew Dragon in the program.
Sierra Nevada Corporation appealed to the United States Government Accountability Office, but the judge found NASA's decision correct. Later, information emerged that William G. Gerstenmaier, a NASA official responsible for the Commercial Crew Program, decided to rate Boeing's proposal higher than the agency's previous panel of experts. The GAO rejected SNC's claim for the second time. An interesting coincidence is that since 2020, William G. Gerstenmaier has been working as a vice president of SpaceX (but corruption is only in Ukraine, don't get me wrong!).
Despite the negative experience, Sierra Nevada Corporation did not give up and proposed Dream Chaser as an unmanned cargo ship for the second phase of the Commercial Resupply Services program and received NASA approval. The minishuttle is to complement the fleet of SpaceX Cargo Dragon, Northrop Grumman Cygnus and JAXA H-II Transfer Vehicle, which deliver supplies to the ISS, and in the future fly to commercial orbital stations.
The cargo version, called the Dream Chaser DC-100, has lost the crew cabin and panoramic glass cockpit, but the characteristic thickening at the front has remained, and the company does not give up hope of ever returning to the manned version of the shuttle.
In 2019, SNC proposed launching the Dream Chaser DC-100 with an additional cargo module, the Shooting Star, which looks like a kind of third stage of a launch vehicle, on top of which the shuttle itself is already mounted. The 4.6 m long module can carry an additional 3 tons of cargo in internal compartments, in addition, it has three additional external non-pressurized attachment points for scientific experiments. Apparently, this solution is compatible with most modern launch vehicles.
The first flight of the Dream Chaser to the ISS was scheduled for the same year 2021, then postponed to 2022, 2023, 2024 and finally to May 2025. May has already ended, the new date is considered to be the third quarter of 2025. Let's hope that this will finally happen, especially since the Dream Chaser Tenacity (DC101) spacecraft has already passed all the tests at NASA's Langley center.
The launch vehicle is to be a ULA Vulcan Centaur in the VC4L configuration (4 solid boosters, large payload fairing). The expected mission duration is 45 days.
The second shuttle, Dream Chaser Reverence (DC102), has been on hold since November 2024. Sierra Space Corporation needs approximately 18 months to complete the craft. SSC is contracted for six cargo missions to the ISS.
Specifications of Dream Chaser DC-100
| Team | no |
| Length | 9 m |
| Height | ~3 m |
| Wingspan | ~5 m |
| Maximum take-off weight | unknown |
| Payload | 5000 kg |
| Engine | Orbitec Vortex |
| Fuel | hydrogen peroxide with the possibility of injecting kerosene RP-1 |
| Traction | unknown |
| Power supply | solar cells in the service module and batteries |
Dream Chaser DC-200
Sierra Space is not giving up on the manned shuttle project either. The next version of the shuttle, the Dream Chaser DC-200, is reportedly already in development. It will have a similar hull design that creates lift and will be able to transport up to 7 astronauts or space tourists and 5,000 kg of cargo to low Earth orbit.
The mission profile is the same - vertical launch on a ULA Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle, maneuvers in orbit, docking with the station, and in the future, of course, with Sierra Space's own station - Orbital Reef, landing on the shuttle runway.
Sierra Space's plans are very ambitious and it is already clear that they will be adjusted, but it seems that the construction of the first Dream Chaser DC-200 shuttle should start as early as 2025, and in 2026 the ship should pass NASA tests and possibly go on the first test flight without a crew. We wish Sierra Space success, but this sounds unrealistic.
Exploration version of Dream Chaser
Sierra Space is reportedly considering building a specialized version of the Dream Chaser for national security missions, a competitor to the Boeing X-37. But since its announcement in 2021, the company has not commented on this statement or said what the differences might be with the reconnaissance version of the shuttle. It recently became known that Sierra Space has created a separate division, Sierra Space Defense, which will focus on national security programs.
Virgin Galactic Delta (USA)
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic needs no introduction – it’s the only company in this article with real experience operating reusable suborbital shuttles. The company’s SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity, another descendant of Bert Rutan and Paul Allen’s first private spacecraft, SpaceShipOne, has made dozens of flights to altitudes of over 85 km (space by American standards), including seven commercial ones. But in June 2024, VSS Unity was retired, and the company began construction of a new generation of shuttles – Virgin Galactic Delta.
The Delta series shuttles have the same design as SpaceShipTwo, but a larger interior volume - instead of four passengers, Delta will be able to take six, plus two crew members. The avionics, the unique for these vehicles feather deployment mechanism, the engine, pneumatics and hydraulics of the spaceplane will be improved. In addition, the preparation time for the next launch will be reduced from 30 to 3 days.
Among other things, Virgin Galactic Delta will use a new launch vehicle being developed by Aurora Flight Sciences (owned by Boeing), and the shuttle fleet will increase to five per spaceport thanks to a new technological process and modular structure. Virgin Galactic Delta currently operates from two sites - Spaceport America (New Mexico, USA) and Spaceport Mojave (California, USA), but Branson hopes to open locations for space tourism around the world.
Aurora Flight Sciences' new launch vehicle is expected to be ready by the end of 2025. The first Delta shuttle is also set to begin testing this year, with commercial operations planned for 2026. As of February 2025, the cost of a suborbital flight with Virgin Galactic was $600,000 (a five-day program with the option to bring three guests to the spaceport).
Virgin Galactic Delta specifications (based on SpaceShipTwo)
| Team | 2 crew members + 6 passengers |
| Length | 18.3 m |
| Height | 5.5 m |
| Wingspan | 8.3 m |
| Maximum take-off weight | 9,740 kg |
| Engine | RocketMotorTwo |
| Fuel | nitrous oxide / hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene |
| Traction | 310 kN |
| Power supply | batteries |
Dawn Aerospace Mk-II Aurora (New Zealand)
The New Zealand company Dawn Aerospace's Mk-II Aurora spaceplane is a real stunner, even compared to other small new-generation shuttles. At about 4m long, it looks more like a radio-controlled model plane than a real space-going craft.
Dawn Aerospace Mk-II Aurora is designed for suborbital flights, and should deliver 10 kg of cargo (scientific equipment) to an altitude of 100 km, that is, go into space. After that, the spaceplane begins a descent along a spiral trajectory and lands on the same runway from which it took off. Yes, the Mk-II Aurora does not take off on top of a rocket, but like a regular airplane! That is, if it also went into orbit, it would be a full-fledged spaceplane.
During 2023-2024, the Mk-II Aurora made nearly 60 test flights. During the 57th flight in November 2024, the aircraft reached a speed of Mach 1.12 and an altitude of 25 km. That is, it was the Dawn Aerospace Mk-II Aurora that became the first civilian winged aircraft to exceed the speed of sound since Concord, and not the Boom Supersonic XB-1, which was actually 2 months late.
In the same test, the Mk-II Aurora also broke the record for the speed of climb to a height of 20 km, which the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle multi-role fighter set back in 1975. An interesting feature of the aircraft is its quick preparation for the next launch, which will allow it to conduct several flights during the day.
According to Dawn Aerospace's positioning, the Mk-II Aurora spaceplane can be used for scientific experiments, testing chips and new materials, and testing military technologies. The company has already started accepting flight orders. According to the plan, by the end of 2025, the Mk-II Aurora should rise to an altitude of 100 km and reach a speed of Mach 3.5.
Dawn Aerospace Mk-II Aurora Technical Specifications
| Team | no |
| Length | ~4 m |
| Height | ~1 m |
| Wingspan | ~2.5 m |
| Maximum take-off weight | unknown |
| Payload | 10 kg |
| Engine | two-component rocket engine |
| Maximum height | 100 km |
| Maximum speed | 3.5 M (3,653 km/h) |
| Preparation time for the next takeoff | less than 4 hours |
| Duration of microgravity | 3 minutes |
Space Rider (ESA)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has been keeping an eye on space shuttle projects for many years. Back in 1975, the French National Center for Space Research (CNES) began developing the Hermes project, which closely resembled the "father of all shuttles," the previously mentioned Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar project. In 1985, development was transferred to ESA, which planned to create a manned spacecraft based on it that could be launched using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. But in 1992, the Hermes project was closed due to constant delays, underfunding, and overall high cost.
In 2013, Swiss Space Systems, together with Roscosmos, tried to revive Hermes under the name SOAR (Sub-Orbital Re-Usable Aircraft). The company even signed a contract for the first launches in 2018, but declared bankruptcy in 2016. There's no need to contact the Russians.
ESA itself has not forgotten about space shuttles. Back in 2004, the agency launched the Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP), the aim of which was to create a new generation of ships to be launched by the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. When it became clear that Ariane 5 was about to retire, the programme was refocused on Ariane 6.
One of the initiatives within the FLPP was the Italian Programme for Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator in Europe (PRIDE) – the actual creation of a reusable robotic spaceplane. The program produced a prototype shuttle Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV, literally Intermediate Experimental Ship).
The IXV, manufactured by the Franco-Italian concern Thales Alenia Space, had a hull that creates lifting force, a length of 5 m, a wingspan of 2.2 m and a take-off weight of 1,900 kg, which is already traditional for modern space shuttles. On February 11, 2015, the Vega carrier rocket with the IXV launched from the Kourou spaceport and launched the prototype into space. The device reached an altitude of 412 km, performed an atmospheric reentry maneuver at a speed of 7.5 km/s, performed a controlled glide over the Pacific Ocean and landed using parachutes. The test was considered successful, and soon the project received its modern name - Space Rider (Space Reusable Integrated Demonstrator for Europe Return).
The contract for the construction of the Space Rider shuttle was signed with the aforementioned Thales Alenia Space and the Italian Avio in December 2020. Thales Alenia Space is to manufacture the ship itself, Avio is to manufacture a disposable service module for it. The first flight is scheduled for 2027. The launch vehicle is Vega-C+ with a new P160C first stage, launch under the fairing.
Initially, the developers planned to add a vertical stabilizer and small wings to the Space Rider, but due to limitations on the size of the Vega launch vehicle's fairing, they decided to leave only the hull that creates lift, like the IXV prototype.
Space Rider consists of the Space Rider spacecraft, which returns to Earth, and the AOM service module. It is a modification of the Vega-C AVUM+ fourth stage with Ukrainian RD-843 engines and solar panels. It is somewhat reminiscent of a pair of Dream Chaser DC-100s plus a Shooting Star cargo module.
During landing, the Space Rider uses drag parachutes, and after reducing speed to Mach 0.2, a parafoil (parachute-wing) for a controlled descent. This is how the experimental X-38 spacecraft, developed by NASA and ESA, landed in 1999. Depending on the inclination of the orbit, the landing will be carried out at the Kourou spaceport or in the Azores.
As of now, the assembly and testing of the main structure of the first AOM service module has been completed, the first parafoil tests have been conducted, and the thermal protection of the Space Rider control surfaces has been certified. Whether the developers will have time to carry out a test flight in 2027 is an open question.
Specifications of Space Rider
| Team | no |
| Length | 8 m (Space Rider + AOM) |
| Maximum weight | 4,900 kg |
| Payload | 620 kg / 1200 liters |
| Engine (AOM) | RD-843 (KB "Yuzhnoye") |
| Fuel | nitrogen tetroxide / unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine |
| Mission duration | up to 60 days |
| Landing weight | 2,850 kg |
| Question | 600 W |
| Reusable | 6 flights |
| Preparing for flight | close to 6 months |
Space Walker (Japan)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), like many other space agencies, became interested in rocket plane projects in the 1980s. In 1990, the HOPE-X (H-II Orbiting Plane, Experimental) project was launched, which was designed to be used on the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA launch vehicle. Due to problems with the rocket in the late 1990s and a lack of funding, the project was closed in 2003 at the stage of testing large-scale models of the shuttle.
But in 2005, the Winged Reusable Sounding rocket project was launched at the Kyushu Institute of Technology, which, after testing prototypes in 2009-2017, together with HOPE-X developments, became the basis for the creation of the Space Walker company, which plans to build spaceplanes of four different types.
The first will be a 4.6 m long test platform with a wingspan of 2.8 m. It will have a take-off weight of 1,000 kg and engines that run on a liquid methane/liquid oxygen mixture. The planned launch date (which has been pushed back many times) is 2026.
The next stage is the suborbital shuttles FuJin/RaiJin. They will have a length of 17.7 m, a wingspan of 12.3 m and a take-off weight of over 43/54 tons. These are full-fledged spaceplanes, that is, they should take off on their own. It is planned that the seven engines of the device will operate on a pair of liquefied biomethane / liquid oxygen. RaiJin will have an additional rocket stage that will be able to launch satellites weighing up to 310 kg into low Earth orbit. The shuttles themselves are suborbital, the maximum flight altitude is 150 km. According to the plan, the launch of FuJin will take place in 2028. Do we believe it?
Next up is the NagaTomo tourist suborbital shuttle. The parameters are the same as FuJin/RaiJin, but instead of a payload, there is a crew and passenger cabin (2+6) and a bunch of portholes. The maximum flight altitude is 120 km. The planned launch date is 2030.
Well, then there's the fantasy – a two-component orbital aircraft in the rocket-on-rocket-plane scheme, which the company wants to launch sometime in the 2040s.
While some of the Space Walker projects look too fantastical, the company is attracting funding and specialists (including from NASA), building a test platform and preparing for testing. We are not sure that the project will survive to the stage of a two-component orbital plane, but suborbital tourist shuttles look realistic, especially since such shuttles have already flown repeatedly, see Virgin Galactic.
POLARIS Raumflugzeuge AURORA (Germany)
Germany is not only the first country to send rockets into space on June 20, 1944, but also the country where the very idea of rocket planes and space planes originated. The Opel RAK.1 glider tested rocket engines as early as September 30, 1929, and the Silbervogel suborbital bomber project, with a body that creates lift, was proposed by engineer Eugen Senger as early as December 1941. It is therefore not surprising that Germany also wants to build its own space plane.
Back in the 1980s, the same Eugen Senger created the concept of a two-stage Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Sänger spaceplane at Junkers. However, due to the high cost of the project (over $12 billion), it was discontinued in 1995.
In 2020, the flag was picked up by the POLARIS Raumflugzeuge startup, which plans to create a full-fledged light spaceplane AURORA. The company recently completed a new round of funding and received €5.4 million, and also set up a test site in Peenemünde. Yes, that very Peenemünde, where Wernher von Braun worked and from where the first man-made object went into space.
AURORA is a full-fledged spaceplane that should take off and land like an airplane on a regular runway. The shuttle will have four turbofan engines for low speeds and two wedge-shaped rocket engines on a kerosene/liquid oxygen vapor. According to the company's calculations, AURORA will be able to launch a payload of up to 1 ton into low Earth orbit, or carry up to 10 tons during a suborbital or hypersonic flight. The developers promise quick preparation for the next launch - only 24 hours. The shuttle can be modified for suborbital manned flights.
POLARIS Raumflugzeuge has already flown over a hundred large-scale prototypes of MIRA II and MIRA III, and has tested its own wedge-shaped air rocket engine. The next stage is a full-scale model, the first flight of which is scheduled for 2028.
POLARIS Raumflugzeuge is already dreaming of the next stage – a heavy passenger/cargo spaceplane, the development of which could begin in the 2030s. But let's wait for the first flight of AURORA.
Radian Aerospace Radian One (USA)
The American Radian Aerospace decided not to waste time on trifles, but to immediately present the heavy spaceplane Radian One, capable of delivering people and cargo to low Earth orbit (2,270 kg to orbit and 4,540 kg back to Earth).
Resembling a space shuttle from a science fiction movie, Radian One is supposed to take off using a rocket-propelled sled – such designs were very popular in science fiction in the 1930s and 1940s – and land on any 3km runway. Preparations for a new launch will take just 48 hours.
In fact, little is known about this project yet. In September 2024, the company presented the Radian PFV01 prototype for ground and flight tests. In addition, the hypersonic platform / reusable thermal capsule R3V was presented, thermal protection tests are being conducted, etc. The characteristics of the device and its engines have not yet been announced.
Instead of an epilogue
As you can see, many are trying to build new-generation shuttles, but projects for various space shuttles, both those launched using carrier rockets and full-fledged spaceplanes, existed in the 1980s and 1990s, but none of them ever became a reality.
Of the projects mentioned in this article, the most realistic and capable of surviving the space test stage are the Dream Chaser DC-100, Virgin Galactic Delta, and Space Rider. We would estimate the probability of success of the other projects at 50%. Let's see what happens next.