European Space Agency

On 17 June, the agency announced the launch of its ASTRE (Advanced Staged-Combustion Technologies for Reusable Engines) project, revealing that industry stalwart ArianeGroup would lead a consortium that includes SiriusSpace and Pangea Aerospace. The project aims to develop a full-flow staged combustion methalox reusable rocket engine capable of producing between 200 and 300 tonnes of thrust, placing it in roughly the same class as the SpaceX Raptor engine. According to the agency, the goal of the project is “to equip the French and European space industry with new capabilities for strategic applications.”

As project lead, ArianeGroup will be responsible for technology maturation and the development of two demonstrator engines, one at reduced scale and another fully representative of the final engine. SiriusSpace will support the maturation of key technologies, while Pangea Aerospace will focus on the preliminary design of the target engine.