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Aside from eventually carrying passengers to Orbital Reef, Dream Chaser will also fly cargo and crew to the ISS as part of a $3 billion contract with NASA. The contract is part of an initiative by NASA to reduce its reliance on SpaceX as the only US firm currently capable of transporting astronauts to the ISS.

Dream Chaser will feature a massive inflatable space habitat

Dream Chaser will be four times shorter in length than NASA's space shuttle, measuring 30 feet in total. However, it includes a feature called LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) that allows it to deploy a large space habitat once in space. The inflatable habitat expands to a size of 27 feet in diameter, which is the equivalent of a three-story building. Its soft material is able to deflect small meteors and other space debris.

The spaceplane's relatively small stature also allows one key advantage. It can land horizontally on any runway that is capable of accommodating a Boeing 747 or Airbus A380.

Though the long-term goal is for Dream Chaser to land on commercial runways at international airports, Sierra Space is also building a network of spaceports for Dream Chaser — including New Mexico’s Spaceport America and facilities in Cornwall, England, and Oita, Japan. Once operational, Dream Chaser will be able to reach Orbital Reef's low-orbit location within about three days of travel time.