The pioneering winged commercial spaceplane, Dream Chaser DC-100, dubbed “Tenacity,” has reached NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking its final stop before embarking on its maiden voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) later this year.

Following extensive testing at Ohio’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility, the spaceplane has received clearance to undergo final pre-launch preparations, including the completion of its thermal protection system and payload integration.

Tenacity, developed by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) under the independent arm, Sierra Space, has been in the making since its announcement in September 2004, New Atlas has reported.

Initially slated for NASA’s Commercial Crew program to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS, the Dream Chaser is now gearing up to deliver 7,800 pounds (3,540 kg) of supplies, including food, water, and scientific experiments, to the ISS aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket.

Written by B.C. Begley