Sierra Space One Step Closer to Landing Spaceplane at Alabama Airport

The FAA held a public hearing this week on Sierra Space’s proposal to use Alabama’s Huntsville International Airport (KHSV) as a low-Earth orbit (LEO) re-entry site.

Jeremy Kariuki

Friday, December 10, 2021 at 01:42 PM ET

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Sierra Space is seeking approval to land its Dream Chaser spaceplane at a Huntsville, Alabama, airport. Credit: Sierra Space

Key Takeaways:

The FAA held a public hearing on Sierra Space's proposal to use Huntsville International Airport (KHSV) as a re-entry site for its Dream Chaser spaceplane, which is designed to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.
Community reactions were mixed, with many supporting the initiative due to Huntsville's aerospace history, but some residents voiced concerns about potential impacts like sonic booms from the re-entering spacecraft.
The FAA is currently reviewing Sierra Space's Draft Environmental Assessment and license applications for re-entry site and vehicle operations, with a decision still pending.

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The FAA held a public hearing this week on Sierra Space’s proposal to use Alabama’s Huntsville International Airport (KHSV) as a low-Earth orbit (LEO) re-entry site for its spaceplane.

Sierra Space is currently developing a reusable re-entry vehicle, named Dream Chaser, that will deliver supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) program by NASA. If approved, Dream Chaser could be landing at KHSV as soon as 2023.