Dream Chaser

Anyone else think that at 1:05 it looks like an angry mario world style penguin?

Just me then!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-575 ... ?ttag=fbwp

A bit before that it looked to me more like a manta ray in mid flap but the thing I noticed most was the way they intend to dock. I am not sure its a good idea to put your entrance and exit in the middle of your main engine even if it only is burning rubber and Nox which IIRC is what Spaceship one uses as they seem to be recycling its engine design before its been thoroughly tested by adrenalin junkie tourists.

Does seem a bit odd, I guess by the time it gets to the ISS it would have burnt it all, but you do wonder about an emergency mid flight!

Maybe the hybrid rocket is a separate tube that gets jettisoned out the airlock before docking? I haven't seen the movie, but it does sound strange. So the walls of the airlock are made out of solid rocket fuel?

Incidentally, the Atlas V 402 can lift the Dream Chaser into LEO by itself, so other than for manoeuvring and docking (which I guess would be done using the RCS) it doesn't need the engine. It does need it as a launch escape system however, and having a go-around opportunity on landing approach would also be nice I'd think, so I'd rather keep the rocket throughout the flight if possible...

Nope. It uses those engines for it's deorbit burn too. So the whole time it is docked it has those fueled and armed motors pointed at the station...

Another weakness is that a single engine failure means total propulsion failure because the asymmetric thrust of one would induce severe yaw that I doubt could be compensated for.

But its likely to get cancelled in favor of SpaceX's Dragon anyway.