The Dream Chaser cargo spacecraft from Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) was selected by NASA last week to deliver material to the International Space Station (ISS) from 2019. The mini-shuttle with its slated wing configuration was an idea borrowed from the Soviet BOR lifting bodies.
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The Soviet Union had tested a number of vehicles progressively from 1969 till the early 1980s before abandoning the design in favor of the Buran – which was similar in configuration to the American Space Shuttle.
NASA studied the design of the BOR, the acroynm for Беспилотный Орбитальный Ракетоплан, and wing tunnel testings of the shape found that the vehicle has good gliding and turning capabilities.
This gave birth to the HL-20 Personnel Launch System which was later abandoned and the concept was picked up by Sierra Nevada Corporation for the Commercial Crew Development program.
Although the company lost to SpaceX and Boeing in the bid to ferry astronauts to the ISS, the company reconfigure the Dream Chaser for the cargo supply mission and won the contract for six supply flights.