Low in the news this week were reports that the European Space Agency had signed a contract with one of their regular contractors, Italian rocket supplier Avio, to produce a reusable rocket upper stage. Avio is a contractor on other ESA launch vehicle contracts, like Vega 6 and the Ariane.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and Avio signed a two-year contract worth 40 million euros (about $47 million U.S. at current exchange rates) on Monday (Sept. 29) at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) here in Sydney, Australia, with the goal of preparing for in-flight demonstration of a reusable upper stage.
In the bigger picture sense, the ESA has talked about reusability for some time, and we've covered it here over the years - like about three weeks ago. This contract will cover the preliminary design and the technologies for the ground and flight segments required for an upper stage demonstrator.
It's too soon to know what the test vehicle will look like, but ESA put out a possible signpost on Monday. The agency posted on X a rendering that looks a lot like SpaceX's Starship megarocket upper stage.
"I am glad to sign this contract since its importance is two-fold: on one side
it addresses technological criticalities in the short-term; on the other side,
it paves the way for the preparation of Europe's long-term future in space,"
ESA's Director of Space Transportation Toni Tolker-Nielsen said in
their statement.
ESA says the move capitalizes on progress made in advanced liquid propulsion, reentry, recoverability and reusability technologies. The upper stage could be used on future Vega rockets, also developed by Italian multinational Avio, or other European rockets.
The ESA started down this path almost exactly three years ago with an upper stage called Susie - or Smart Upper Stage for Innovative Exploration. I can't find any records of a vehicle equipped with a Susie ever flying.
EDIT 10/3/25 0820 EDT to add: Link to the original source article
Are they funding actual hardware or just a study? The ESA is even more out of touch with reality than NASA.
ReplyDeleteAt that contract size, I'm pretty sure it's just a study.
DeleteJonathan
Beans, Jonathon is exactly right. The deliverables sound like conceptual designs.
Delete"with the goal of preparing for in-flight demonstration of a reusable upper stage "... "The work will cover the preliminary design and the technologies for the ground and flight segments required for an upper stage demonstrator."
And I'm really getting bad at my proof reading. I left out the link to the (short) source article.
If some company had a technology more advanced than SpaceX had, how long would it take SpaceX to replicate it? This is the best an entire continent can do.
ReplyDeleteHow long to not just replicate but improve it so much it actually works?
DeleteWith Europe what it currently is following the invasion of all those illegal alien terrorist invaders. what else would you expect?
DeleteWakanda, baby!
These ESA clowns are so far behind they couldn't find success if Musk came over and assisted them. These were the same doofuses that thought Musk would never make it work, pooh-poohed his efforts, then shut up promptly when Falcon 9 started to takeoff and land with regularity and reliability.
ReplyDeleteNOW they want ot copy Starship because, well, Starship is now going to (sub)orbit and will soon be doing refueling on their way to Mars and beyond.
Putzes. Y'all are waaaay too little and waaaaay too late!!