The Small Thrusters Controlling The Dream Chaser Spaceplane

Dream Chaser has gone through many different design changes and plans throughout its 2-plus decade development. For a while, the company wasn’t sure whether or not they would make a crewed or uncrewed variant or combine the two. By now Sierra Space has a set plan and with this outlined designs for specific Dream Chaser variants and features. The first launch and subsequent launches will all be with an uncrewed Dream Chaser. In order for this spacecraft to move around and orient itself, it will rely on 24 Reaction Control System thrusters located at the front and back of the spacecraft in addition to the Shooting Star module. Other than these thrusters, there will be no main engine on this spacecraft. Instead, the only Dream Chaser variant so far that features larger primary engines is the crewed version which is still very early in development. These design choices are based on the mission profile and needs of each Dream Chaser variant. Here I will go more in-depth into these propulsion sy