Sierra Nevada’s Louisville-based Space Systems has a new mission: Doing science in space.

The Dream Chaser for Science, or DC4Science, is a variant of the Dream Chaser spacecraft designed as an orbiting microgravity laboratory.

“We can create a custom lab that allows us to dedicate the lab space to whatever the scientific purpose is,” said Space Systems vice president Mark Sirangelo.

The spacecraft allows for customized experimental payloads to be sent to space for three different types of missions: short-term flights with scientist astronauts on board; uncrewed months-long missions; and longer duration missions of a year or more.

“Customers will maintain scientific intellectual property rights, free from Federal Research Laboratory regulations that govern the international space station,” said John Roth, Space Systems’ vice president of business development.