Clicky chatsimple

Ghost Spacecraft Of Sierra Space

Category :

Other

Posted On :

Share This :

After completing its first flight tests, Sierra Space’s Ghost spacecraft—a ground-breaking logistics system that can deliver essential supplies from orbit to any location on Earth in 90 minutes—won a contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to investigate the possibility of increasing its payload capacity.

Features Of Ghost Spacecraft

The Ghost spacecraft is unique in the world of orbital logistics thanks to a number of cutting-edge features. It can quickly send supplies to Earth by pre-staging them for a duration of five years while in orbit. For the safe delivery of vital supplies during re-entry, the system uses a deployable decelerator to safeguard payloads. Ghost can land precisely 100 meters from a target thanks to its delivery skills.

Flight Testing In 2024

Sierra Space made major advancements in the development of the Ghost spacecraft in early 2024 when it carried out a number of crucial flight tests. Three separate setups were tested using a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter, dropping them from heights of up to 5,000 feet1. The purpose of these tests was to assess the system’s functionality and improve its performance:

First drop: Measured impact force without a parachute
Second drop: To evaluate flight dynamics and landing accuracy, a parachute was used.
Final drop: By separating the shield from the payload in midair, the Ghost showed off its capacity to return.

By successfully completing these tests, important data was obtained for the Ghost system’s continued improvement, opening the door for next orbital demonstrations and operational deployment. The revolutionary architecture of the Ghost and its potential to revolutionize fast cargo transport from space to Earth were validated in large part by these early flight tests.

Ghost’s AFRL Contract

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) awarded Sierra Space a $980,000 contract in October 2024 to investigate the possibility of enhancing the Ghost spacecraft’s capabilities. This contract investigates the possibility of increasing Ghost’s payload capacity from 150 kg to 5–10 metric tons as part of the AFRL’s Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics (REGAL) program. The study’s yearlong focus will be on:

Conceptual planning for heavier weights.
Cost-benefit analysis for both commercial and military uses
Bridging the scale difference between large-scale down-mass devices and small payload return systems.
Enhancing operational ideas and providing guidance on important design elements for Ghost’s maiden flight article.

This move expands on Sierra Space’s increasing prominence in the defense sector, which has been bolstered by recent $1.3 billion satellite constellation contracts.

Upcoming Events

The development of the Ghost spacecraft’s operating infrastructure, communication systems, and data recording capabilities are the main areas of ongoing improvement. In order to address reentry license issues and establish Sierra Space as a pioneer in space logistics and mobility, cooperation with the FAA is now ongoing. Subsequent experiments will improve the system’s performance, ensuring its continued use in space operations for national security. The goal of the company’s September 2022 agreement with the Transportation Command of the U.S. Department of Defense is to develop solutions leveraging the larger portfolio of Sierra Space, which includes the Dream Chaser spaceplane and the Shooting Star cargo modules.