NASA is currently weighing three options for the vehicle that will replace the Space Shuttle as its sole means of putting astronauts into space.

On Thursday, the agency said its decision is imminent: sometime during August or September, it'll award one (or perhaps two) contracts to the three companies in competition.

SpaceX's Dragon V2


The startup SpaceX — founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk — has been using the initial version of its Dragon capsule to ship cargo to the space station since May 2012. It unveiled the upgraded version, equipped to carry people, this past May.

Both versions of the Dragon are lifted to space by one of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets. Currently, the rockets are not reusable (though SpaceX eventually hopes to change this), but the capsules are — and the new version of the Dragon can actually land on Earth using a set of thrusters, instead of crash-landing in the ocean. Reusability is a key strategy that could help drive down the cost of space travel.

Someday, SpaceX hopes to use the Dragon to take astronauts to other destinations — perhaps space tourists visiting inflatable space stations in development by the Bigelow Aerospace. Some have suggested that a modified Dragon could even be used for a mission to Mars.

Boeing's CST-100

On the whole, Boeing's CST-100 capsule is relatively similar to the Dragon. It's a pyramid-shaped capsule that would be launched to space atop a rocket.

Initially, this would be the Atlas V rocket — which was developed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin and has been putting satellites in space since 2002 — but the CST-100 could eventually be compatible with other rockets as well.

The CST-100 isn't quite as far along as the Dragon: Boeing has conducted some tests of the capsule, dropping it from 14,000 feet over the Nevada desert, but it hasn't been put into space yet, let alone orbit. Working in Boeing's favor, though, is the company's decades of collaboration with NASA on a huge range of projects, including the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.

Dream Chaser


The Dream Chaser's design is radically different than the other two capsules in contention. It was developed by the Sierra Nevada Corporation, an aerospace electronics company that bought SpaceDev, a private spaceflight company, in 2008.

In many ways, the Dream Chaser is a scaled-down version of the Space Shuttle: it's a spaceplane that would be lifted to space while strapped to the side of a rocket, but would execute a controlled landing on a runway upon return.

The Dream Chaser has also been put through a few flight tests — both tethered to helicopters and dropped in free flight — but the latter ended poorly, as the Dream Chaser's landing gear did not deploy, leading it to skid off the runway.


For me Personally, I like the Dream Chaser- looks like the Space plane we always saw in Sci-Fi.

One of these three vehicles will be NASA's spacecraft of the future - Vox

 

All of them look good and could potentially lead the way for the future of Space Missions. (Whatever those might be).

However I guess I'm just a sucker for conventional looking (Read, Awesome) space shuttle/spaceship/plane type idea. It just screams "more advanced" to me then just something that looks like a drop pod or some bland looking capsule like device. Which admitting is sad because what really matters is how well it performs and not how good or "Cool" it looks. But seriously, doesn't it just scream "we are more advanced" when you see something like the Shuttle or this new Dream Chaser Plane/Shuttle? It just looks more advanced right? (Surely I can't be the only one thinking this?)

Anyways like I said what really matters is how well it functions/performs and not how it looks. So I hope whichever way they go is the better or more viable to help with the actual needs that will be required of it.

(Still, it still looks more "advanced" to me to be in something like the Shuttle then just something that looks like a capsule...)

 

^ Exactly

and if NASA does go with the dream chaser, it would only be a matter of time before it could be modified into a "soft assist" craft - ie you piggy back it on a larger plane, like a 747, and release at 30,000 feet. No more rockets needed - just like in Superman Returns. Plus the Dream chaser reminds me of the GI Joe Shuttle system, more so the smaller Defiant part.

 

Dreamchaser has to be one of the coolest spacecraft ever design.

Transformer of this when?

 

The Dreamchaser is probably the least expensive long term craft, as you can land it on a base and then send it back to be fitted on a rocket. With the capsules there's the ordeal of recovering the capsule, which would require more manpower, fuel, and maintenance by way of groundcrews, in addition to what would be going into the capsule.

 

Well I can tell that Boeing isn't gonna get it.

 

That Dream chaser looks awesome.

 

One of these looks exponentially cooler than the others.

 

The first two look like we took a huge step backward....into the 60's.

That Dream Chaser looks bad-ass.

 

Exactly, NASA needs to keep on moving forward and the bottom is that. Going back to the capsule would be as stupid as the Air Force going back to biplanes.

 

The Dream Chaser looks awesome; I really hope that's the future of space flight.

 

Dreamchaser looks beautiful, but I honestly have to go with the Dragon here. I just don't think a shuttle like vehicle will be able to get us to Mars, and honestly, I feel like that's the next step that has to be taken in Space Exploration.

 

Mars will require a new spacecraft, but a shuttle type would be for LEO and maybe out to moon distance missions. Its primary mission will be to put US astronauts on the ISS.

 

Here's the issue with that. It's a long way to Mars, so we need to ensure a crew has enough spacing for that time. The Dreamchaser won't be the answer, but it would lead to a solution over time. NASA just really needs to go forward and learn with stuff like the Shuttle and the Dreamchaser. Going back to a capsule is only going to put NASA further behind.

 

I get it now! Hasbro has been holding out on Astro Train so we could have the Drewm chaser version!

 

I want the Dream Chaser, simply because it's so close to the design of a Sci fi favorite of mine.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzRFARUa3c4

 

I disagree somewhat. I feel that large capsules are the best long range option, while shuttles are better for things within Earth's orbit.

 

Most likely, only thing a capsule will be used for it to deploy a small crew from a larger shuttle like ship that is orbiting Mars.

 

Dream Chaser is awesome, but Dragon is definitely cool too. It's got a neat retro yet modern feel.

 

Unless Dreamchaser can be mounted to the top of a lift vehicle, there's no way NASA will go for it. To much chance of it being damaged by ice and debris. That's part of what killed the shuttle program. (That, and being considerably more expensive than conventional rockets.)