Nobody could accuse the European space agency and his various contractors to move quickly when it comes to the development of reusable rockets. However, it seems that Europe is finally making some credible progress.
This week, Arian Group Aerospace Company, based in France, announced that it had completed the integration of the Themis vehicle, a prototype rocket that will test various landing technologies on a launch platform in Sweden. Hertests at low height, a precursor for developing the first phase of a rocket that can land vertically after an orbital launch, can start at the end of this year or early afterwards.
“This milestone marks the start of the 'combined tests', in which the interface between the theme and the mechanical, electric and liquid systems of the launch cushion will be thoroughly tested, with the aim of completing a test under cryogenic conditions,” the company said.
Finally get started
The progress of the Themis program is a concrete step forward for Europe, which has had a delayed and somewhat confusing response to the rise of reusable rockets ten years ago.
After a few years of development and testing, including the Grasshopper program in Texas to demonstrate vertical landing, SpaceX landed its first orbital rocket in December 2015. Weeks earlier, Blue Origin landed the much smaller new Shepard vehicle after a suborbital hop. This informed the industry that the reuse of the first stage was on the horizon.
At this point, the European space agency had already promised a new rocket with medium-lift, the Ariane 6, and locked up in a traditional design that would contain no elements of reuse. Most financing was aimed at developing the Ariane 6.
By the mid -2017, however, the space agency began to initiate programs that would eventually lead to a reusable launch vehicle. They include:
