Sierra Space's first Dream Chaser spaceplane has passed key tests. Next stop: the Florida launch site.

The Dream Chaser private spaceplane is closer than ever to reaching the final frontier, with a checklist completed from its environmental testing phase and preparations underway to send it to Florida for final testing before launch.

Three months ago, Space.Com offered you close looks at the inauguration of Sierra Space Dream Catcher spaceplane at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Center in Ohio. Since then, the robotic spaceplane, named “Tenacity,” and its Shooting Star cargo module have successfully completed a series of evaluations to prepare them for the harsh environment of space, including intense shock, vibrations and thermal vacuum.

Preparations are currently underway by Sierra Space and members of the NASA test team to ship the duo to the NASA site. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida for the final round of testing before the inaugural launch of Dream Chaser, expected later this year.

Related: Sierra Space Unveils Dream Chaser Spaceplane Ahead of First Flight to ISS (Video)

close-up view of a black and white space plane, showing black heat shield tiles and white metal studded with rivets

Close-up view of part of the Tenacity space plane. (Image credit: Sierra Space)

“Successfully completing an incredibly rigorous environmental testing campaign in close partnership with NASA is an important milestone and puts Dream Chaser on track for operations later this year,” said Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Space. said in a May 9 press release. “This is the year we move from rigorous research and development to regular orbital operations and, in doing so, transform how we connect space and Earth.”

Once Tenacity and Shooting Star arrive in Florida, they will head to KSC’s Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) and undergo a final round of pre-launch testing. These tests will include acoustic testing, electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing, as well as final inspection and work on the spaceplane’s thermal protection system.

Tenacity is the first in a planned fleet of Sierra Space spaceplanes, which will fly seven missions to the International Space Station as part of NASA Commercial Resupply Services-2 Contract. The second spaceplane in the series, named Reverence, is already in production at Sierra Space’s factory in Louisville, Colorado.

Sierra Space is also considering a crewed version of Dream Chaser carrying astronauts in the not-too-distant future.