TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS~**MUST COURTESY "SNC SPACE SYSTEMS"**~<br/> <br />The space plane prototype known as the Dream Chaser has lift off.<br/> <br />A heavy-lift helicopter carried the miniature space shuttle before releasing it for its debut test flight.<br/> <br />The space taxi glided back to the runaway at the Edwards Air Force Base in Mojave, California.<br/> <br />In video released by developer Sierra Nevada Corporation, a narrator says the prototype flew precisely according to plan.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) NARRATOR, SAYING:<br/> <br />"The vehicle adhered to its designed flight trajectory throughout the flight profile."<br/> <br />But not everything went smoothly.<br/> <br />One of the vehicle's three landing gears did not deploy, causing the plane to skid off the landing strip.<br/> <br />Engineers are still assessing how much damaged was sustained.<br/> <br />NASA hopes to book rides on the commercial carrier to transport its astronauts to the International Space Station by 2017.
