European Rocket Makers Aim for Reusability

The longstanding alliance between the United States and Western Europe has been strained in recent months, which has spurred a reexamination of how integrated the European Union should be with American defense and aerospace companies. For instance, several ministries of defense are looking at homegrown replacements for U.S.-built fighter aircraft and missile systems.
 
Space launch is another area where dependence on an American contractor, SpaceX, is causing concern among European leaders. To better compete with SpaceX, Europe’s leading rocket manufacturer, the ArianeGroup, established a subsidiary in 2021 to develop a small, partially reusable rocket capable of launching a 500-kg payload into Earth orbit. Engineers at the subsidiary, MaiaSpace, are aiming for a first launch in 2026. 
 
The ultimate goal is to provide an alternative to SpaceX and other American launch services for delivering small commercial satellites into space.
 
For many years, Ariane was a leading provider of launch services. But the French company (a joint venture between Airbus and Safran) fell behind about a decade ago due to poor strategic planning. Instead of focusing on reusability, which would help contain launch costs, the company and a pan-European consortium developed the Ariane 6 heavy rocket. Not only has the program been plagued by delays (the first launch occurred earlier this month after around a decade of development) but the expendable nature of the rockets makes it more expensive than competitors.

“On this side of the Atlantic, we have neglected the technologies of reusability,” said Yohann Leroy, CEO of MaiaSpace. “To be competitive, we have to lower the costs and recover the first stage.”

The competition is also picking up—not only with Space X, but also with Germany’s Rocket Factory Augsburg, which is developing a partially reusable rocket.
 
The Maia launch vehicle has been designed to be available in either reusable or expendable versions. Depending on the mission, the launch system could deliver payloads as massive as 1.5 tons to low Earth orbit. Three engines, fueled with liquid bio-methane and liquid oxygen, power the main-stage rocket, and one rocket powers the upper stage. In addition, the two-stage rocket can be equipped with a small extra “Kick Stage” to increase performance.
 
MaiaSpace selected liquid methane as a rocket fuel because it offers a good compromise between performance and robustness. For instance, liquid hydrogen is preferred for some uses because of its high energy density and low mass, while kerosene is considered stable and easier to manage. Liquid methane is a common commodity fuel and easier to handle and store than hydrogen, but it provides greater energy density than kerosene. 

The lower, main stage features three rockets, a set of grid fins at the top for maneuverability, and four fold-out legs for landing. The mission profile calls for the main stage to land on a barge downrange from the launch site, similar to how SpaceX rockets return to Earth. MaiaSpace hopes to reuse each main stage five times. 

The upper stage uses one rocket engine to propel payloads into orbit. A full-scale prototype of MaiaSpace’s upper stage underwent cryogenic filling tests and liquid methane fillings in June 2024. It was a critical step toward demonstrating the viability of the vehicle.

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After a comprehensive search for a launch site, MaiaSpace chose to operate its reusable rocket from the former Soyuz launch pad (ELS) at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. Because of its open and highly accessible Atlantic Ocean coastline, French Guiana is a prime location for launching satellites into space and recovering usable rocket sections. (Ariane has been launching rockets from the South American department of France for decades.)

With the first launch schedule for next year, MaiaSpace 230 engineers are focusing on completing the design and monitoring the manufacturing of components. Engineers are also optimizing operations, including reducing the potential for harmful impact from the launches. 
 
“The reuse of already existing launch pad infrastructures is perfectly in line with MaiaSpace’s approach to minimize as much as possible its environmental footprint, on Earth and in space,” Leroy said. “MaiaSpace will make investments of several tens of millions of euros for the adaptation of the launch pad to meet our needs, as well as the development of a local bio-sourced methane production sector.”
 
Mark Crawford is a technology writer in Corrales, N.M.