ESA and Avio to study reusable upper stage

SYDNEY — The European Space Agency and Avio have signed a contract to begin design work on a reusable upper stage for future Vega or other European rockets.

Officials with ESA and Avio signed a contract Sept. 29 during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) here to perform initial design work on a concept for a reusable upper stage. The two-year contract is worth 40 million euros ($47 million).

The contract will cover work to cover key technologies in propulsion and reentry systems needed for the upper stage, said Giorgio Tumino, chief technical adviser for space transportation at ESA, in comments after the signing ceremony. It will also advance the design of the stage itself.

“We have shaped this activity in such a way that it prepares the long-term application of reusability, but it also serves the short-term needs in the upcoming products in the Vega family,” he said.

The near-term applications would involve propulsion technologies that could be incorporated into the Vega E, which will have a new cryogenic upper stage that will replace the third and fourth stages of the current Vega C. “It’s about preparing for the future and, at the same time, there is the opportunity to have these new technologies ready for the Vega family,” said Marino Fragnito, chief commercial officer of Avio.

Neither ESA nor Avio released many technical details about the upper stage, which would be designed to return to Earth from orbit for use on another flight. They also did not disclose a timeline for developing the upper stage once the design

The stage, Tumino said, could potentially be used on a future version of Vega but also on other European rockets. “We are really preparing for all the different options with this activity,” he said.

That could include launch vehicles being developed by companies through the European Launcher Challenge, a competition to support new launch vehicles by European startups. Many of those concepts involve vehicles with reusable lower stages.

The Avio concept supported by the ESA contract is not the first proposal in Europe for a reusable upper stage. ArianeGroup unveiled a concept called the Smart Upper Stage for Innovative Exploration, or Susie, at the IAC three years ago in Paris. Susie would replace the upper stage on the Ariane 64 and be able to return from orbit for reuse, and could also be used as a cargo or crew vehicle.

ArianeGroup said in November 2023 it was beginning testing a small-scale demonstrator of Susie, but the company has provided few updates on the status of the project since then.