With the Themis project, Europe will learn to operate a prototype of reusable launcher first stage. At SSC’s Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden, final preparations are currently underway to begin these historic tests. This will culminate with a “hop test” campaign with first attempts at stabilized low altitude flight followed by a soft landing.

Initiated by the European Space Agency (ESA), this project has been entrusted to ArianeGroup, a French-German company also lead contractor for the Ariane 6 European launcher, which developed the prototype vehicle T1H and the brand-new Prometheus® engine.

Today, SSC and ArianeGroup are taking the next step with the test of this prototype in Esrange, organized by the European Commission in the SALTO project. SALTO gathers more than 25 European partners from 12 countries, each participating to the test campaign.

Introducing the first scale 1 European reusable first rocket stage demonstrator, both from a vehicle and engine point of view, this will address the current lack of reusable European vehicles and reusable booster engines for orbital launches. The vertical take-off and landing demonstrations at Esrange will be the first of their kind in Europe.

Final preparations to head North
The demonstrator is nearing completion at its integration hall in France, with all necessary components for launch, vertical landing, and reusability being finalized. End of 2024, the Prometheus engine and its thrust vector actuation system were mounted on the stage.

Creating new history – one hop-test at a time
Both at Esrange Space Center and SSC’s headquarters in Stockholm, preparations are at full swing to finalize the new Themis test flight facility.

Apart from the launch pad itself, final adjustments are being made to the safety and security installations, such as range warning system, firefighting robot, low- and high-pressure nitrogen plants, dry air plant, electric and fluidic ground support equipment, and propellant storage tanks – to mention a few. A dedicated Launch Control Center is also being installed at a nearby ESA facility in Kiruna, close to Esrange, from where the rocket test flights will be monitored.

“The SSC team has been working intensely for the past few years to make this launch possible. With the arrival of the rocket demonstrator at Esrange, the team is very excited to see the result of this dedicated work. It is a tremendous feeling to be a part of the European Space history,” says Ulrika Unell, President Orbital Launch & Rocket Test at SSC.

Already planning the next generation Themis
End of 2024 ArianeGroup was selected by ESA to lead the development of a next generation of Themis demonstrator. This upgraded prototype, equipped with a more powerful Prometheus® engine, will allow to run more ambitious tests at a higher altitude, to progressively learn about operation of reusable rockets. SSC’s Esrange was also selected as the best location to these new demonstrations and the renovation of testing and ground infrastructure in northern Sweden is already planned.

“The contract extensions signed today at ESA’s headquarters in Paris, France, are to further demonstrate and test evolutions of the Prometheus engine and the Themis demonstrator with higher and more hop-tests,” ESA stated in a press release.

For more information, please contact:
Philip Ohlsson, Press & PR, +46 (0) 707 21 70 26, philip.ohlsson@sscspace.com