Sierra Space
Dream Chaser spaceplane and LIFE space habitat
- Founded
- 2021
- Headquarters
- Louisville, Colorado
Overview
Sierra Space is an American commercial spaceflight company headquartered in Louisville, Colorado. It was spun off from Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) in April 2021 by owners Eren and Fatih Ozmen, who separated SNC's space capabilities into an independent business focused on the low-Earth-orbit economy.
The company is best known for the Dream Chaser, a reusable lifting-body spaceplane developed to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, and for LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment), an inflatable space habitat. Sierra Space is also a major partner on Orbital Reef, the commercial space station led by Blue Origin. Its broader portfolio spans satellite platforms, propulsion systems, and space infrastructure.
As of 2026 Sierra Space is actively developing and preparing to fly its hardware, but Dream Chaser has not yet reached orbit. The first vehicle, Tenacity, is targeting its inaugural flight to low Earth orbit — reconfigured as a free-flight demonstration mission — in late 2026 following completion of pre-flight and acoustic testing.
Timeline
- Apr 2021
Company founded
Sierra Space is spun off from Sierra Nevada Corporation as an independent commercial space company by Eren and Fatih Ozmen.
- Nov 2021
$1.4B Series A
Sierra Space raises a record $1.4 billion Series A round, reaching a $4.5 billion valuation.
- Dec 2023
LIFE habitat burst test
The full-scale LIFE inflatable habitat prototype passes its first ultimate burst pressure test, exceeding NASA safety standards.
- 2026
Dream Chaser first flight (planned)
The first Dream Chaser spaceplane, Tenacity, targets its inaugural orbital free-flight demonstration mission in late 2026.