Sierra Nevada Corporation developed the Dream Chaser spaceplane for cargo missions to low Earth orbit.
Dream Chaser is a lifting-body spacecraft designed to launch vertically on a conventional rocket and return to Earth by gliding to a runway. Its cargo version was selected by NASA under the Commercial Resupply Services program to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.
The spacecraft is intended to carry pressurized cargo inside its main body and additional unpressurized equipment in a detachable cargo module called Shooting Star. Unlike a capsule that lands under parachutes, Dream Chaser is designed for a runway recovery, allowing cargo to be handled more gently.
The project originated as a crewed spacecraft concept, but NASA’s operational contract focused on cargo. The name can be confused with NASA’s X-37B, yet Dream Chaser is a distinct commercial lifting-body vehicle.