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Ariane Next

Ariane Next is a proposed next-generation partially reusable launch vehicle under development by ArianeGroup for the European Space Agency (ESA), designed to succeed the Ariane 6 as Europe's heavy-lift rocket and achieve significant cost reductions through first-stage reusability.^[1]^[2] The project aims to halve launch costs to approximately €35 million per mission compared to Ariane 6, while providing enhanced flexibility for both institutional and commercial payloads in low Earth orbit and beyond, targeting 10–24 launches annually in a competitive market.^[1]^[2] Its architecture features a standardized two-stage-to-orbit configuration with a diameter of 4.6–5.4 meters, utilizing liquid oxygen and methane (LOx/LCH4) propulsion for simpler operations and potential commonality across stages, supplemented by optional solid rocket boosters for performance scalability.^[1]^[2] Central to its reusability is the first-stage recovery via "toss-back" propulsion and vertical landing, enabled by technologies like the Prometheus engine—a 1,000 kN thrust methalox unit capable of in-flight restarts—and the Themis demonstrator for low-altitude hop tests.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] As of 2025, Ariane Next remains in the conceptual and demonstration phase, with ongoing ESA-funded efforts focusing on validating reusability through programs like SALTO, which includes the integration and installation of Themis at Sweden's Esrange Space Center in September 2025 for hop tests planned for late 2025 or early 2026, and €230 million in contracts for Prometheus advancement and stage recovery subsystems.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8] Initial studies targeted operational flights around 2028–2030, but delays in demonstrator timelines have pushed full development toward the 2030s, amid ESA's push for accelerated progress to rival reusable systems like SpaceX's Falcon 9.^[1]^[9]

Development History

Origins and Early Studies

The conceptualization of Ariane Next emerged in 2017 amid growing concerns within the European space sector over the impending retirement of the Ariane 5 launcher around 2023 and intensifying global competition from reusable rockets such as SpaceX's Falcon 9. European officials and industry leaders, including those at ArianeGroup, recognized that traditional expendable launchers like Ariane 5 risked losing market share to cost-effective reusable systems, prompting initial discussions on a successor to ensure Europe's independent access to space into the 2030s. These early talks emphasized the need for innovation in cost reduction and recovery mechanisms to maintain competitiveness in the commercial launch market.^[10] This push for a next-generation vehicle was closely tied to the ongoing development of Ariane 6, which had been initiated in 2014 by the European Space Agency (ESA) as a more affordable successor to Ariane 5, with its maiden flight ultimately occurring in July 2024 after delays. Ariane 6 was designed to bridge the gap in Europe's heavy-lift capabilities, but even during its development phase, stakeholders highlighted the necessity of planning beyond it to address long-term market evolution and technological advancements by the 2030s. The Ariane Next concept thus positioned itself as the strategic follow-on, aiming to build on Ariane 6's operational foundation while introducing elements of reusability to sustain Europe's launcher autonomy.^[11] Between 2019 and 2020, ArianeGroup conducted system-level feasibility studies in collaboration with the French space agency CNES, focusing on defining Ariane Next as a partially reusable launcher capable of halving the per-launch costs of Ariane 6—targeting approximately €35 million per mission by the late 2020s. These studies prioritized economic viability through standardized architectures and optional recovery of high-value components, estimating that reusability could capture 50% of the launcher's costs. Early design explorations drew inspiration from vertical landing techniques, such as retro-propulsion for stage recovery, to enable rapid turnaround and reduced operational expenses without overhauling the entire system. The analyses projected a first flight horizon around 2028–2030, aligning with anticipated market demands for 19–24 annual launches across various orbital regimes.^[2]^[12]

EU-Funded Projects and Partnerships

The development of Ariane Next has been significantly supported by EU-funded initiatives under the Horizon Europe programme, launched in 2021 to advance reusable launch technologies and reduce costs for European space access. The SALTO (reuSable strAtegic space Launcher Technologies & Operations) project, initiated in 2022 with €39 million in funding, focuses on maturing technologies for the first stage of a reusable launcher, including validation of landing phases through low-altitude flight demonstrations. Led by ArianeGroup, SALTO involves 26 partners from 12 European countries, emphasizing collaborative R&D to enhance reusability and operational efficiency.^[13]^[14] Complementing SALTO, the ENLIGHTEN (European iNitiative for Low cost, Innovative & Green High Thrust ENgine) project, also starting in 2022 with €17.4 million in EU funding, targets innovations in reusable rocket engines and stages, such as advanced additive manufacturing, AI-based health monitoring, and low-cost subsystems. Coordinated by ArianeGroup, it unites 18 partners from eight countries to develop eco-friendly propulsion options, including engines compatible with bio-methane or green hydrogen, building on prior ESA efforts like the Prometheus programme. These advancements aim to halve launch costs while supporting reusable architectures for future vehicles like Ariane Next.^[14]^[15] Key national space agencies play pivotal roles in these partnerships, with the French CNES contributing expertise in system integration and reusability studies within SALTO, and the German DLR leading efforts in aerodynamics, materials, and methane-fueled engine simulations across both projects. This multi-national collaboration, involving major contributors from France, Germany, and Italy—such as Avio for propulsion components—aligns with broader EU goals for strategic autonomy in space. A core emphasis is on environmental sustainability, achieved through the adoption of LOX/CH4 propellants, which reduce emissions compared to traditional kerosene-based systems by enabling cleaner combustion and reusable designs that minimize waste.^[16]^[17]^[18] These post-2021 initiatives build briefly on foundational studies from 2019-2020 that explored reusable concepts for European launchers.^[19]

Key Milestones and Delays

The development of Ariane Next advanced significantly with the first hot-fire test of the Prometheus engine prototype on June 22, 2023, at ArianeGroup's Vernon facility in France, which successfully validated stable methane ignition using liquid oxygen and liquid methane propellants.^[20] This milestone, supported by preparatory work under the EU-funded ENLIGHTEN project for low-cost innovative engines, confirmed key aspects of the reusable propulsion technology central to Ariane Next.^[14] Progress continued with a second Prometheus test campaign completed in June 2025, featuring multiple hot-firing tests on a second engine model that achieved four successive ignitions in a single day, further demonstrating restart capabilities essential for reusability.^[21] Ariane Next is planned for entry into service in the 2030s to provide Europe with a partially reusable heavy-lift launcher capable of supporting diverse missions.^[5] In 2025, the program encountered delays, including the postponement of the Themis reusable stage demonstrator's first flight test from late 2025 to 2026 due to integration challenges and supply chain constraints. However, integration was completed in September 2025, with Themis fully assembled and erected on its launch pad at Sweden's Esrange Space Center for wet-dress rehearsals ahead of the hop tests.^[22]^[8] Similarly, the CALLISTO reusable upper stage demonstrator, a collaboration with Japan, was shifted from 2026 to 2027, attributed to ongoing supply chain issues and technical maturation needs.^[23] Under the SALTO project, a June 2025 visit by European Commission representatives to ArianeGroup facilities reviewed preparations for the Themis flight campaign, marking advancement toward Europe's first reusable launcher demonstrations.^[7] The 2024 phase of ESA's Future Launcher Preparatory Programme (FLPP) extended system-level studies and technology validations, paving the way for full-scale development decisions on Ariane Next by incorporating reusability and cost-efficiency enhancements.^[24] Development costs for Ariane Next are projected at €3-4 billion as estimated in 2019 studies, to be shared among ESA member states through ministerial contributions and industrial partnerships.^[2]

Technical Design

Overall Architecture

Ariane Next employs a two-stage-to-orbit baseline design, featuring a reusable first stage and an expendable second stage, with the option for strap-on liquid boosters to support varying mission requirements.^[2] The core stages share a common diameter of 5.4 meters in the full-performance configuration, enabling efficient integration of cryogenic tanks and structural elements.^[2] The vehicle stands approximately 60 meters tall, optimized for compatibility with existing launch infrastructure at the Guiana Space Centre's ELA-4 pad, which supports Ariane 6 operations and requires minimal modifications for Ariane Next. At liftoff, the baseline configuration achieves a gross mass of around 800 tonnes, balancing reusability provisions with payload performance targets. This partially reusable architecture prioritizes first-stage recovery through vertical landing via retro-propulsion in a toss-back trajectory, drawing conceptual parallels to proven systems like Falcon 9 while tailoring recovery operations to European regulatory and logistical priorities.^[2] Such design choices aim to reduce operational costs without compromising the vehicle's capability for geostationary transfer orbit insertions or low Earth orbit deliveries.

Propulsion System

The propulsion system of Ariane Next represents a significant evolution for European launchers, adopting a liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid methane (CH4) bipropellant combination across both stages to enable reusability and cost efficiency. The core component is the Prometheus engine, developed by ArianeGroup under ESA oversight, which delivers approximately 1,000 kN of vacuum thrust per unit and features restart capability essential for upper-stage operations.^[4]^[25]^[18] In the first stage, Ariane Next employs a cluster of 7 to 9 Prometheus engines arranged for high-thrust ascent, providing the necessary impulse to lift the vehicle's approximately 600-ton propellant load. The second stage utilizes a single vacuum-optimized variant of the Prometheus engine, equipped with gimballing for precise attitude control during orbital insertion and potential restart maneuvers. This configuration draws heritage from the Vulcain engine family used in Ariane 5 and 6, incorporating advanced materials and a gas-generator cycle for improved performance and manufacturability.^[2]^[26]^[27]^[4] The choice of methane as the fuel offers key advantages over the liquid hydrogen (hydrolox) propellants in Ariane 6, including cleaner combustion with minimal residue to facilitate engine reuse, easier cryogenic storage due to higher density and reduced tank volume requirements, and simplified handling that lowers operational costs. These properties support multiple ignitions and throttling from 30% to 110% of nominal thrust, enhancing mission flexibility. Development milestones include a 30-second hot-fire test in October 2023 at ArianeGroup's Vernon facility, validating ignition and stable operation, with subsequent campaigns in 2024 and 2025 building toward full-duration burns.^[5]^[28]^[25]^[21]

Reusability Mechanisms

Ariane Next incorporates partial reusability through a vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) system for its first stage, enabling recovery via propulsive descent that utilizes residual propellant after payload separation.^[29] This approach draws from studies like the European Next Reusable Ariane (ENTRAIN) project, which evaluated VTVL configurations for efficient booster recovery in a two-stage-to-orbit architecture targeting geostationary transfer orbit missions.^[29] The descent sequence involves multiple retropropulsion burns to manage trajectory and velocity, prioritizing downrange landings over return-to-launch-site operations due to mass and performance constraints.^[30] The first stage features deployable landing legs and grid fins to facilitate controlled atmospheric reentry and precise touchdown, either on ocean platforms or designated land sites.^[30] Four carbon-composite landing legs fold against the stage during ascent and deploy prior to landing, scaled from existing designs to support soft vertical touchdowns while minimizing added mass.^[29] Grid fins provide aerodynamic steering during the initial descent phase, aiding stability and reducing thermal loads before propulsive maneuvers take over.^[30] These elements are tested incrementally through demonstrators like Themis, which validates VTVL hardware in suborbital hops.^[31] The "Return to Earth" phase begins post-separation with atmospheric reentry at hypersonic speeds of approximately Mach 7-8, followed by a boost-back burn to adjust the trajectory for recovery.^[29] This burn, executed using the stage's main engines, reverses downrange velocity and positions the booster for a reentry burn that decelerates it to subsonic speeds, protecting the structure from peak heat fluxes below 200 kW/m².^[29] The sequence culminates in a final landing burn for hover and touchdown, with dynamic pressures constrained under 200 kPa to ensure structural integrity.^[29] Autonomous guidance during descent relies on GPS and inertial navigation systems, enabling pinpoint accuracy without ground intervention.^[29] The Prometheus engines, deep-throttlable methane-fueled thrusters, support these descent burns alongside ascent duties.^[31] Overall, the reusability mechanisms aim for at least 10 reuses per stage to halve launch costs compared to expendable systems, with refurbishment processes—focusing on thermal protection inspection and minor repairs—currently under study to achieve up to 25 cycles in optimized configurations.^[2]^[29]

Configurations and Performance

Core Variants

The core variants of Ariane Next revolve around a modular two-stage architecture that allows for scalable performance through optional strap-on boosters, enabling mission flexibility across medium- to heavy-lift requirements. The shared core consists of a first stage powered by multiple Prometheus LOX/CH4 engines and a second stage optimized for orbital insertion, with reusability focused on the first stage via retro-propulsion landing.^[2] The baseline variant is a two-stage configuration without boosters, designed for medium payloads. As studied in 2019, this setup achieves approximately 5.5 tonnes to Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at 800 km in reusable return-to-launch-site (RTLS) mode, or up to 8.5 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) with 1800 m/s residual velocity in expendable mode, prioritizing cost efficiency through partial reusability of the first stage. This supports a range of commercial and institutional missions while minimizing complexity for lighter loads.^[2] The Ariane Next 62 variant integrates two strap-on boosters—either solid or liquid fueled—to enhance thrust for GTO missions. These boosters attach to the core stage and can operate in reusable or expendable modes, with liquid options powered by scaled-down Prometheus engines for compatibility with the main propulsion system. Early studies indicate approximately 6.2 tonnes to GTO (1500 m/s) in expendable mode with two boosters.^[2] For heavy-lift operations, the Ariane Next 64 configuration employs four such boosters, boosting overall capacity; 2019 analyses show up to 8.3 tonnes to GTO (1500 m/s) in expendable mode. This variant maintains the core's reusability features while the boosters offer operational choice between recovery and single-use to balance performance and economics. Low Earth orbit (LEO) capacities are estimated higher than GTO figures, potentially 10-15 tonnes for baseline expendable and up to 20 tonnes for heavy configuration, though exact reusable LEO performance remains under study.^[2] Booster designs across variants emphasize modularity, with Prometheus-derived engines ensuring throttleable, restartable performance whether reused or expended. As of 2025, these configurations are conceptual, with ongoing ESA efforts to validate reusability technologies that may refine performance targets.^[2]^[5]

Payload Capabilities

The Ariane Next launcher is engineered to provide robust payload delivery across a range of mission profiles. Early 2019 studies for the baseline configuration indicate 5.5 tonnes to SSO 800 km in reusable mode or 6.6 tonnes to GTO (1500 m/s) expendable, supporting a variety of scientific and commercial missions, including constellation deployments. When augmented with strap-on boosters, the system's capacity expands, reaching 8.3 tonnes to GTO (1500 m/s) with four boosters in expendable mode, enabling more demanding applications such as large-scale satellite networks. LEO capacities are projected higher, with estimates up to 15-20 tonnes depending on configuration and mode.^[2] For geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) insertions, Ariane Next targets 4.5-8.5 tonnes in baseline reusable to expendable modes (1800 m/s), facilitating the efficient placement of telecommunications satellites into orbits that require subsequent propulsion for circularization. This capability positions the launcher as a competitive option for the commercial satcom market, where reliable GTO access is essential for high-value assets. With two or four boosters, GTO performance increases to 6.2-8.3 tonnes expendable (1500 m/s).^[2] Launched from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, Ariane Next accommodates Sun-synchronous orbits (SSO) and polar trajectories, leveraging the site's equatorial advantage for efficient inclination changes. The payload fairing measures 5.4 meters in diameter, providing ample volume for diverse spacecraft geometries while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency during ascent. Growth options include a larger 7-meter fairing for oversized payloads.^[2] Relative to its predecessor, the Ariane 6, Ariane Next achieves a projected 50% reduction in launch costs through partial reusability of the first stage, without compromising payload fractions and potentially enhancing them via optimized propulsion and recovery systems. This cost efficiency is anticipated to broaden access to space for European and international customers.^[2] The design also incorporates flexibility for multi-launch operations, including ride-share accommodations for small satellites via dedicated dispensers or auxiliary stages, allowing cost-effective integration of secondary payloads alongside primary missions.^[2]

Testing and Demonstrators

Engine and Ground Tests

The Prometheus engine, a liquid oxygen and methane-fueled reusable rocket engine developed by ArianeGroup for Ariane Next's first stage, underwent multiple hot-fire test campaigns between 2023 and 2025 to validate its performance and reusability features.^[21]^[32] The initial tests occurred at ArianeGroup's Vernon facility in France using the Themis demonstrator stage, starting with a 12-second burn in June 2023 that confirmed ignition and stable operation under integrated conditions.^[33]^[20] Subsequent testing shifted to the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Lampoldshausen for advanced qualification, including a 30-second hot-fire with re-ignition in October 2023 to assess throttleability and restart capability.^[25] In 2024 and 2025, the program advanced with a key 7-second test in December 2024 at Vernon, followed by a second campaign concluding in June 2025 that featured four successive ignitions in a single day on a second engine prototype, demonstrating reliable multiple restarts essential for reusability.^[26]^[34] These efforts culminated in a successful demonstration of full 1,200 kN (120 tonnes-force) thrust output, verifying the engine's high-performance envelope without reported anomalies in ignition sequencing.^[35]^[36]^[4] Ground infrastructure at Vernon supported stage integration and early firings via the dedicated Themis test stand, while DLR's facilities enabled vacuum-simulated conditions for longer-duration evaluations.^[37]^[38] Structural validation for Ariane Next's cryogenic tanks focused on LOX/CH4 compatibility and reusability, with Themis demonstrator tests in 2021 successfully filling steel propellant tanks to simulate operational loads and confirm leak-proof integrity after multiple cycles.^[39] Further cryogenic simulations in subsequent years, supported by the EU-funded SALTO project, tested tank pressurization and thermal cycling to ensure structural resilience for repeated use.^[40]

Flight Test Vehicles

To validate key technologies for reusability in Ariane Next, the European Space Agency (ESA) and national agencies like CNES and DLR have developed several flight test vehicles and demonstrators focused on vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL), propulsion, and guidance systems. These efforts build on smaller-scale prototypes to progress toward full-scale reusable stages, with testing emphasizing low-altitude hops, engine reignition, and autonomous landing. Primary demonstrators include the FROG series by CNES, the CALLISTO rocket jointly led by CNES, DLR, and JAXA, and the Themis prototype by ArianeGroup under the EU's SALTO program.^[41]^[42]^[43]^[16] The FROG (Flight testbed for Orange Guidance) demonstrators are low-cost, sub-scale platforms designed to test flight control systems and guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms for VTVL reusable launchers. FROG-T, a 2.5-meter-tall, turbojet-powered vehicle with a steerable nozzle and deployable landing legs, conducted its first captive flight in May 2019 at the CNES Brétigny-sur-Orge site, followed by five free flights reaching up to 30 meters altitude in October 2020. These tests validated basic hover, ascent, and descent maneuvers, providing data on aerodynamic stability and software for larger systems. FROG-H, an advanced 3.6-meter-tall iteration with a 100 kg launch mass, incorporates a hydrogen peroxide monopropellant rocket engine for more realistic propulsion simulation; engine ground tests were completed in summer 2025, with the first free flights now scheduled for early 2026 to demonstrate powered vertical landings. Both FROG vehicles integrate technologies intended for transfer to demonstrators like CALLISTO and Themis, emphasizing rapid iteration and cost efficiency in reusability development.^[41] CALLISTO (Cooperative Action Leading to Launcher Innovation for Stage Toss-back Operations) is a 13-meter-tall, fully reusable suborbital demonstrator aimed at proving cryogenic propulsion and recovery systems for Ariane Next's first stage. Powered by a single 46 kN hydrogen-oxygen engine with throttle capability from 16 to 46 kN and in-flight reignition, it will perform 10 test flights starting with a maiden hop to approximately 20 km altitude in 2027 from the Guiana Space Centre.^[44] The vehicle, with a 1.1-meter diameter, completed preliminary design in late 2019 and detailed design in late 2024, followed by integration in Japan during 2025. In October 2025, DLR delivered a qualification model of the landing leg prototype for testing. These flights will test autonomous guidance, engine relighting in vacuum conditions, and precision landing, directly informing Ariane Next's reusable architecture through international collaboration between CNES, DLR, and JAXA.^[42]^[45] Themis, developed by ArianeGroup under ESA contract as part of the SALTO (reuSable strAtegic space Launcher Technologies & Operations) initiative, represents a mid-scale reusable main-stage prototype at 30 meters tall, equipped with a single 1,200 kN (120 tonnes-force) thrust Prometheus engine using liquid oxygen and methane. Installed on the launch pad at Esrange Space Center in Sweden on September 19, 2025, after integration since June 2025, it is undergoing combined mechanical, electrical, and fluid interface tests, including cryogenic conditioning, with the initial flight test—a low-altitude "hop" for liftoff and landing—scheduled for 2026 to validate high-thrust reusability and hypersonic reentry precursors.^[43]^[16]^[46] This scales up from prior Prometheus engine hot-fire campaigns in 2023 and 2025. Themis focuses on integrating these elements to reduce Ariane Next's operational costs by up to 60% through stage recovery.^[43] These flight test vehicles collectively address Ariane Next's core challenges, such as propulsive landing and rapid turnaround, with data from FROG and ground tests feeding into CALLISTO and Themis for progressive risk reduction ahead of operational deployment in the 2030s.^[41]^[42]^[43]

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