France has conducted 6 tests of a reusable Ariane rocket called Themis, it plans to be able to land back on land and a sea platform by 2025.
France has conducted 6 tests of a reusable Ariane rocket called Themis, it plans to be able to land back on land and a sea platform by 2025.
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Cool.
I’m not able to directly link to it, but if you look at @AndrewParsonson on twitter (he’s a guy who does space journalism/podcasting) – he provides a great deal of background and further information on this.
Sensible.
The choices for future commercial spaceflight are :
1. Have a reusable lift capability
2. Exit the industry
3. Be Boeing/SLA and keep suing the US government for not giving you money, despite lack of #1
>This has reduced the estimated cost of production by a factor of ten compared to Ariane 5’s core stage Vulcain engine.
This is an old metric from many years ago, the fact that it’s still touted as a big deal is concerning. Arianespace has the Vulcain 2.1 engine now, which also features various completely new component as well as 3D printed ones. I want to know the improvements of Prometheus compared to this new engine, not one that’s twenty years old.
Also, from the sound of this, the 2021 deadline for thorough engine tests has been missed (understandably).
Good luck. Also I know this is a thread celebrating Ariane, but thank God for SpaceX making those Dinosaurs innovate.
Great news
Better late than never I guess
Nice going france. At least someone gets shit done.
These rockets are tested IN France. Thex are built by arianegroup, a multinational corperation for the European space agency.
France doesnt have its own space program, since its member of ESA.
I remember when Space X first launched its reusable rocket a reddit expert argued with me that Ariane didn’t need reusable rockets and that theirs is actually better. Fast forward a couple years and Ariane are trying to catch up.
Interesting graph there for the test schedule.
In particular that while the engine tests will take place in France, the hop tests will take place in Kiruna, Sweden (a place i more associate with iron ore mining). And then the flight tests will happen in French Guiana, at the ESA launch facility.