Sierra Space Unveils Eclipse, a New Satellite Bus Line

Sierra Space, the company that will soon launch and operate the Dream Chaser, has unveiled its latest innovation: the Eclipse satellite bus line. With the announcement the company introduces three distinct classes of satellite buses: Eclipse Velocity, Eclipse Horizon, and Eclipse Titan.

According to Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice, the Eclipse line reflects the company’s commitment to innovation, offering scalable solutions to meet the evolving demands of space missions. With Velocity, Horizon, and Titan, Sierra Space aims to address various needs within the space industry, from earth observation and communications to logistics and exploration.

The lineup

• Eclipse Velocity, designed for maneuverable small satellites, promises efficiency and agility in a compact form. It is tailored for missions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), featuring integrated Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking capabilities.
• Eclipse Horizon, the medium-class bus of the Eclipse line, offers versatility for a range of missions, including missile warning and defense, advanced Earth observation, and communications. Its affordability and reliability hope to make it suitable for government and commercial constellation missions.
• Eclipse Titan, the large-class bus, boasts significant capabilities for high-demand tasks such as Cis-lunar operations, GEO logistics, and on-orbit refueling. It represents the pinnacle of Sierra’s satellite technology.

The Sierra Space Eclipse series features state-of-the-art propulsion systems, advanced communication capabilities, and robust power management, all housed within scalable platforms customizable to mission requirements, according to the company.

“Our Eclipse product line is manufactured in a high-rate production system, with the ability to be refuellable on orbit, enabling the next generation of satellites designed for dynamic space operations,” said Erik Daehler, Vice President of Sierra Space Orbital Missions and Services in a statement.

Good days for Sierra Space

Is worth noting that this announcement follows positive weeks for the company.

Sierra Space’s spacecraft, the Dream Chaser “Tenacity”, along with its cargo module, is currently undergoing rigorous thermal vacuum testing at NASA’s Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. This is the latest of a series of tests that represent a vital path in the spacecraft’s preparation for its upcoming journey to the launch pad.

Scheduled to launch aboard the second ULA Vulcan Rocket later this year, following the successful debut launch of the new heavy-class rocket, the Dream Chaser is the latest vehicle poised to enter operational status as part of the Commercial Resupply Services program that NASA established for the International Space Station. It will join SpaceX’s Dragon 2 and Northrop Grumann’s Cygnus.

Notably, Sierra Space has nearly 30 years of experience in space systems design and manufacturing, and has a legacy of success in delivering space vehicles and supporting numerous space missions.

Through its commercial business models and orbital services, Sierra Space aims to serve commercial, DoD, and national security organizations, playing a crucial role in the new space economy, with a range of space-as-a-service solutions.