The European Space Agency has recently awarded ArianeGroup two new contracts worth a total of €230 million. The contracts are for building a second Themis demonstrator and refining the design of the Prometheus rocket engine.
Themis was originally a project by CNES in 2018 and was later adopted by ESA member states in 2019. ArianeGroup initially received €75 million in funding in June 2017 to develop the Prometheus engine for the Themis demonstrator. Subsequently, ESA awarded a €33 million contract to ArianeGroup for Themis in December 2020. Additional funding of €135 million was provided in May 2021 for more Prometheus engine demonstrators, and in July 2022, the European Commission added €56.4 million to the project.
ESA announced on 21 November that an extra €230 million has been allocated to the project. This funding will support the development of a second Themis demonstrator, an upgraded Prometheus engine, and the enhancement of testing and ground infrastructure.
The new Themis T1E (Themis One-Engine Evolution) will have improved structures and propellant tanks, enabling higher and longer flights. Medium altitude hop tests for the T1E Themis demonstrator will take place at the Esrange Space Centre in Sweden.
The focus of the Prometheus work will be on facilitating the cost-effective industrial production of the engine, as well as on maintenance and reusability. Part of the funding will be used to adapt the PF50 test stand in Vernon for long-duration hot fire tests required for these operations.
In addition to the new vehicle manufacturing and Prometheus enhancements, ArianeGroup will also be working on designing and testing technologies for stage recovery, such as grid-fin aerodynamic stabilizers.
The first flight of the initial Themis demonstrator is scheduled for 2025.
The extra funding provided to ArianeGroup will not only support the development of the ESA’s Themis demonstrator but also contribute to the development of Maia, a rocket being developed by MaiaSpace, a subsidiary fully owned by ArianeGroup. Maia is a partially reusable rocket that will utilize the Themis demonstrator’s architecture for its first stage, including the Prometheus engines.
While this investment is a crucial step in the creation of an institutional reusable rocket for Europe, it will also play a vital role in the future commercial success of MaiaSpace.
