Hurriyet, Turkey
Aug 6 2012
Turkish-run firm gets $212.5 mln from NASA
Tolga TanıÅ?ISTANBUL / Hürriyet
NASA has granted $212.5 million to the Sierra Nevada Corporation
(SNC), owned by Turkish couple, Eren and Fatih Ã-zmen, to support the
firm’s space-taxi project `Dream Chaser.’
Sierra Nevada is one of three companies NASA has chosen to support
with a total fund of $1.1 billion. The other two companies are
airplane manufacturer Boeing and SpaceX (Space Exploration
Technologies Corp.). NASA allocated $440 million for SpaceX and $460
million for Boeing.
SNC has signed a deal with NASA to develop a reliable and safe
spaceship to transport astronauts and cargo to the International Space
Station, Eren Ã-zmen told daily Hürriyet.
`SNC Space System Group signed the deal with NASA to continue the
testing process of the Dream Chaser Space Systems,’ she said, adding
that the company has become one of the three companies to develop a
capability to carry commercial personnel to and from low earth orbit.
SNC has received $100 million in support from NASA. The company aims
to develop NASA’s next-generation space shuttle for manned
spaceflights.
The Dream Chaser, a vertical-takeoff spaceplane, is planned to carry
up to seven people. NASA plans to initiate space missions in five
years with one of the projects it supports.
August/06/2012
From: A. Papazian