A new space shuttle is being readied for liftoff from the Space Coast in about two years.Steve Lindsey flew the space shuttle five times back in the day.He's back at the Kennedy Space Center helping to develop a privately-owned mini shuttle called Dream Chaser."It's an exciting time for us," Lindsey said.Dream Chaser's job, at first, will be to fly without astronauts, towing a big cargo pod called the Shooting Star.A test version of the Shooting Star is newly arrived at the Kennedy Space Center.The Dream Chaser is about one-third the size of the original NASA shuttle and will fit inside a rocket's nose cone with the shooting star cargo carrier attached to the back.After delivering 12,000 pounds of supplies to the space station, the Shooting Star will burn up spectacularly in the atmosphere.The Dream Chaser min shuttle will return home for another flight.It looks similar to the Air Force's crewless min shuttle called the X-37."We're going to have a large presence down here for years to come," Lindsey said.The Dream Chaser was originally conceived to carry astronauts, and Lindsey, who now works for the mini shuttle's builder, Sierra Nevada, said eventually astronauts could be launching on shuttles again - mini shuttles - from the Space Coast.The first crewless cargo mission is planned for 2021.

A new space shuttle is being readied for liftoff from the Space Coast in about two years.

Steve Lindsey flew the space shuttle five times back in the day.He's back at the Kennedy Space Center helping to develop a privately-owned mini shuttle called Dream Chaser.

"It's an exciting time for us," Lindsey said.

Dream Chaser's job, at first, will be to fly without astronauts, towing a big cargo pod called the Shooting Star.A test version of the Shooting Star is newly arrived at the Kennedy Space Center.

The Dream Chaser is about one-third the size of the original NASA shuttle and will fit inside a rocket's nose cone with the shooting star cargo carrier attached to the back.

After delivering 12,000 pounds of supplies to the space station, the Shooting Star will burn up spectacularly in the atmosphere.The Dream Chaser min shuttle will return home for another flight.

It looks similar to the Air Force's crewless min shuttle called the X-37.

"We're going to have a large presence down here for years to come," Lindsey said.

The Dream Chaser was originally conceived to carry astronauts, and Lindsey, who now works for the mini shuttle's builder, Sierra Nevada, said eventually astronauts could be launching on shuttles again - mini shuttles - from the Space Coast.

The first crewless cargo mission is planned for 2021.

Go here to see the original:

Crewless mini shuttle to carry 12,000 pounds of supplies to space station - WESH 2 Orlando