Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Louisville-based Space Systems division Wednesday laid off about 90 employees from its Dream Chaser program after having lost a high-profile NASA contract bid.

Space Systems last week lost out on a NASA contract for the Dream Chaser, which would have shuttled astronauts to the international space station. The $6.8 billion total contract instead was split between Chicago-based Boeing Co, which received $4.2 billion, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which received $2.6 billion.

Space Systems chief Mark Sirangelo said many of those let go had been hired in anticipation of the NASA contract.

“We did do a workforce reduction, but it was a relatively minor one compared to what it might have been,” he said.

The layoffs represent a 9.4 percent reduction in Space Systems’ Colorado workforce, he said. Sirangelo said the laid-off workers will receive severance, but he would not disclose details of the package.

Space Systems announced in January a November 2016 launch date for its first Dream Chaser orbital mission, as well as an expansion along Florida’s space coast, sharing NASA facilities at Kennedy Space Center with Jefferson County-based Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

Sirangelo said he could not comment on how these layoffs would affect the launch plans. He did say the Dream Chaser program will continue, and Space Systems intends to bid on upcoming NASA contracts.

Laura Keeney: 303-954-1337, lkeeney@denverpost.com or twitter.com/LauraKeeney