Sierra Space announced on October 3 that it has secured support from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance its “Ghost” spacecraft. This innovative system is designed to deliver cargo from space to any location on Earth in under 90 minutes.
Contract and Program Details
Sierra Space, known for its space habitats and the Dream Chaser spaceplane, won a contract of undisclosed value under the AFRL’s Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics (REGAL) program. The Air Force is investigating the potential of space vehicles to rapidly transport critical supplies from orbital warehouses back to Earth, including reusable reentry vehicles for delivering payloads from prepositioned stocks in orbit.
Ghost Spacecraft Capabilities
Based in Louisville, Colorado, Sierra Space’s defense technology team has designed the Ghost system to remain in orbit for up to five years, storing and delivering essential supplies on-demand. Potential missions for the Ghost spacecraft include:
- Delivering rescue kits for downed pilots
- Providing medical supplies for disaster relief
- Offering logistical support for military operations
Earlier this year, Sierra Space reported successful drop tests at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and plans further testing over the next year to refine operational concepts and develop necessary infrastructure.
Bridging the Gap in Logistics
“Sierra Space and AFRL want to bridge the gap between current small payload return capabilities to higher tonnage down-mass systems,” the company stated. Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Space, described the Air Force contract as a “significant leap forward” in logistics capabilities for defense applications. “This partnership allows us to expand the Sierra Space Ghost into a larger form factor, ready for critical defense missions,” he said.
Cost and Future Development
Each Ghost vehicle currently costs “tens of millions” of dollars to build, but the company is working to reduce the cost to “single-digit millions” per unit.
