Hasty Briefsbeta

After a slow start, Europe's reusable rocket program shows signs of life

7 hours ago
  • #ESA
  • #Space
  • #Reusable Rockets
  • European Space Agency and ArianeGroup make progress on reusable rockets with the Themis prototype.
  • Themis vehicle integration completed in Sweden; low-altitude hop tests may start late this year or early next.
  • Themis program marks Europe's step forward in reusable rocket technology after a delayed response.
  • SpaceX and Blue Origin demonstrated reusable rockets in 2015, prompting industry change.
  • ESA initially focused on traditional Ariane 6 design but began reusable launch vehicle programs by mid-2017.