OHB System AG and the Space Administration of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) signed an agreement providing for the use of funding from the national space program to finance a study to explore possible uses of the U.S. spacecraft Dream Chaser® developed and owned by U.S. company Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC).
Named DC4EU (Dream Chaser for European Utilization), the project is to explore ways in which the Dream Chaser®can be used to cover German and European requirements for the transportation of payloads and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and for deployment as a manned or unmanned space vehicle allowing German and European scientists to conduct research under weightless conditions over extended periods of time.  Given the capability which the Dream Chaser® has for reaching orbits at a substantially greater altitude than the ISS, the study will determine the extent to which it is able to supply satellites or remove decommissioned satellites from their orbits.
The partner in this project is OHB's Munich-based subsidiary Kayser-Threde, which is developing a payload element for capturing satellites. SNC's Space Systems located in Louisville, Colorado, will be contributing its expertise for these developments and will work with OHB on a program for the long-term deployment of the Dream Chaser by Europe. This project will complement the Dream Chaser work that SNC is doing with NASA in the United States under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
The project participants intend to explore the potential offered by the Dream Chaser® to achieve more intensive scientific utilization of the ISS and opportunities for high-caliber research in weightless conditions in the post-ISS era. Currently, the members of the ISS program are planning to continue operating the ISS up until 2020 with an option of extending this period.
"Looking forward, DC4EU will provide interested researchers and space agencies with a modern successor to the U.S. space shuttle," says Dr. Detlev Hüser, head of predevelopment of manned space flight at OHB System, going on to say that "a partnership with the United States will allow Germany to continue participating in manned space flight programs even after the decommissioning of the U.S. space shuttle and the ISS".
DC4EU seeks to systematically maintain and expand research under weightless conditions and manned space flight capabilities. The project initially entails infrastructure design in the Dream Chaser. In a further step, a reference Dream Chaser® mission is to be defined in conjunction with SNC.
With this project, OHB System is tapping a substantially larger area of business in commercial space transportation and manned space flight.
For further information, please contact:
OHB System AG
Martin Stade
Head of Corporate Communications
Tel: +49 421 - 2020-620
Fax: +49 421 - 2020-9898
E-Mail: pr@ohb.de

German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Space Management
Communications
Tel.: +49 228 447-385
Fax: +49 228 447-386

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC)
Krystal Scordo
Marketing Services Manager
Tel.: + 1 720.407.3192
Email: SNCDreamChaser@sncorp.com

About OHB System AG
OHB System AG is one of the three leading suppliers of satellite systems in Europe. It is a member of the European space and technology group OHB AG, which has over 2,400 employees in its two segments "Space Systems" and "Aerospace + Industrial Products".
In this context, OHB specializes in developing and integrating satellite systems and security applications. With the experience gained from a history spanning over 30 years, OHB System also holds skills in manned space flight, exploration and air reconnaissance technologies.

About DLR
DLR is the national aeronautics and space research center of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its extensive research and development work in aeronautics, space, energy, transport and security is integrated into national and international cooperative ventures. In addition to its own research, as Germany's space agency, DLR has been given responsibility by the federal government for the planning and implementation of the German space program. DLR is also the umbrella organization for the nation's largest project execution organization.
DLR has approximately 7400 employees at 16 locations in Germany: Cologne (headquarters), Augsburg, Berlin, Bonn, Braunschweig, Bremen, Goettingen, Hamburg, Juelich, Lampoldshausen, Neustrelitz, Oberpfaffenhofen, Stade, Stuttgart, Trauen, and Weilheim. DLR also has offices in Brussels, Paris, Tokyo and Washington D.C.

About Sierra Nevada Corporation's Space Systems
Sierra Nevada Corporation's Space Systems business area based in Louisville, Colo., designs and manufactures advanced spacecraft, space vehicles, rocket motors and spacecraft subsystems and components for the US Government, commercial customers as well as for the international market.  SNC's Space Systems has more than 25 years of space heritage in space and has participated in over 400 successful space missions through the delivery of over 4,000 systems, subsystems and components.  During its history, SNC's Space Systems has concluded over 70 programs for NASA and over 50 other clients. For more information about SNC's Space Systems visit www.sncspace.com and follow us on Facebook at Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems.
SNC is funded under NASA's CCiCap initiative to develop a next-generation commercial crew spaceflight vehicle. SNC's Dream Chaser® spacecraft is the only reusable and flexible lifting body spacecraft able to land on commercial runways anywhere in the world, and offers safe, reliable, and cost-effective crew and critical cargo transportation to low Earth orbit.

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