Rocket Report: Europe Boosts Launch Autonomy, SpaceX Changes Plans

All the news that’s fit to lift — Edition 8.03, updated with recent developments and deeper technical context.

Avio Secures Autonomy Over Vega C Operations

At the European Space Agency headquarters in Paris, representatives from Italy, Germany, and France signed the Launcher Exploitation Declaration, officially transferring all operational responsibilities for the Vega C rocket from Arianespace to its manufacturer, Avio. This milestone consolidates Italy’s strategic autonomy in space launch services.

Technical highlight: Vega C features a P120C first stage solid rocket motor delivering 4,200 kN of thrust at liftoff, a Zefiro-40 second stage, and an Avio-developed AVUM+ upper stage using hypergolic propellant for precise orbital insertion. Control system upgrades include a new flight computer with 3,000 MIPS processing power for improved guidance accuracy.

‘This is a historic step that reinforces our nation’s autonomy in access to space,’ said Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo.

Italy Invests in Next-Generation Methalox Engines

Italy has committed over €330 million for development of the MR60 methalox engine and two demonstrator vehicles. The MR60 is a liquid oxygen–methane engine targeting 60 tonnes of sea-level thrust with a specific impulse of 355 seconds. Paired with the MR10 engine under the Vega E program, these efforts lay the groundwork for a future reusable launch vehicle capable of multiple tandem burns and propulsive landings.

PLD Space Unveils Serial Production and Next-Gen Vehicle Plans

At its Industry Days event, Spain’s PLD Space outlined a roadmap to produce 32 Miura 5 orbital rockets annually by 2030. Miura 5 is designed to deliver up to 500 kg to 500 km circular polar orbit using a two-stage liquid bipropellant system (kerosene/LOX) with thrust vector control via electromechanical actuators.

• Vertical integration expansion: PLD plans to insource composite stage fabrication, engine assembly, and avionics integration.
• Supply chain consolidation: Over 400 industrial partners across Europe support component manufacturing, including turbopumps, tanks, and telemetry systems.
• Miura Next concept: A heavy-lift rocket offering 13 tonnes to LEO, leveraging modular strap-on boosters.

PLD expects Miura 5’s maiden flight from French Guiana in late 2026, pending successful hot-fire tests of its TEPREL-C2 engine, which currently achieves 100 kN thrust at 340 s Isp.

New INVICTUS Hypersonic Spaceplane Consortium

Funded by ESA’s €7 million grant, the UK-led INVICTUS program aims to deliver a Mach 5-capable, hydrogen-fueled, precooled air-breathing demonstrator by 2031. Frazer-Nash and partners will finalize a preliminary design for a reusable spaceplane with a horizontal runway takeoff and landing profile.

Propulsion innovation: The program explores a precooled turbojet system that cools inlet air from 3,000 K to cryogenic temperatures using liquid hydrogen, enabling sustained hypersonic cruise before switching to onboard liquid rocket engines for orbital insertion.

‘With INVICTUS, Europe is seizing the opportunity to lead in technologies that will redefine high-speed flight and space access,’ said Tommaso Ghidini, head of ESA’s Mechanical Department.

Sea-Based Launch Site Advances in the North Sea

EuroSpaceport, a private Danish company, has secured ESA’s Boost! support to develop a sea-based launch platform off Esbjerg, Denmark. Using a repurposed offshore service vessel with dynamic positioning, the platform will accommodate launches 50–100 km offshore, enabling near-polar and Sun-synchronous orbits.

SpaceForest, a Polish small-launch developer, will conduct the inaugural suborbital flight of its Perun rocket (payload: 100 kg) to validate guidance and telemetry under real maritime conditions. Significant wave height constraints (<2 m) will dictate the launch window to ensure vessel stability.

SpaceX Scraps Johnston Atoll for Cargo Landing Tests

The US Air Force has paused environmental assessment for proposed Starship cargo landing demonstrations on Johnston Atoll due to ecological concerns. Located 860 miles southwest of Hawaii, the atoll hosts 14 tropical bird species and is part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.

SpaceX is now evaluating alternative sites, potentially at sea via autonomous drone ship platforms, to demonstrate suborbital cargo deliveries as part of a US Space Force logistics program. Proposed landing pad construction and habitat disruption spurred public opposition, accelerating the shift.

Amazon Kuiper Augments Constellation with Recent SpaceX Launches

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched early Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, deploying 60 more satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper. This brings the in-orbit Kuiper constellation to over 108 satellites, edging closer to the 3,232 total required for global broadband coverage.

Launch economics: Industry analytics firm Quilty Space estimates Amazon’s launch bill has exceeded $12 billion, surpassing initial program budgets. While Amazon booked 80+ missions with various providers, three Falcon 9 flights in late 2024 and early 2025 addressed a 2023 shareholder lawsuit alleging fiduciary missteps in launch provider selection.

NASA Targets Late July for Crew-11 Mission

NASA and SpaceX now aim for a July 31 launch of Crew-11 aboard Crew Dragon Endeavour. The mission will ferry NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov to the ISS.

This will mark Endeavour’s sixth flight and first-ever sixth reuse of a Crew Dragon capsule, underscoring SpaceX’s record for spacecraft longevity. The accelerated schedule clears the manifest for CRS-33 Cargo Dragon, which will test in-orbit station reboost capabilities in support of the US Deorbit Vehicle program.

Blue Origin Confirms ESCAPADE as New Glenn’s Next Payload

Blue Origin announced via social media that NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission will fly on New Glenn’s second flight. The twin spacecraft will study solar wind interactions near Mars, accompanied by a Viasat-built communications payload for NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) services demonstration.

Originally projected for August 2025, the launch has slipped to Q4 2025, reflecting final stage integration and qualification tests at the Florida manufacturing facility.

Next Three Launches

1. July 19: Falcon 9 | Starlink 17-3 | Vandenberg SFB, CA | 03:44 UTC
2. July 21: Falcon 9 | O3b mPOWER 9 & 10 | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL | 21:00 UTC
3. July 22: Falcon 9 | NASA’s TRACERS mission | Vandenberg SFB, CA | 18:05 UTC

Deeper Analysis: Environmental and Regulatory Considerations

Offshore and remote launch sites pose unique environmental challenges, including acoustic disturbances, marine ecosystem impacts, and potential fuel spill risks. ESA and national agencies are developing Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) with mitigation plans such as restricted launch windows, wildlife monitoring, and rapid-response containment systems.

Deeper Analysis: Comparative Technical Roadmap for Reusability

While SpaceX’s Falcon 9 employs grid fins and hydraulic actuators for stage recovery, European efforts focus on vertical landing with foldable legs and cold-gas thrusters for precision touchdown, as seen in Vega E demonstrators. Engine cycles also differ: Merlin 1D engines run up to 10 reuses at 850 s specific impulse, whereas MR60 methalox aims for 20 hot-fire cycles with in-situ refurbishment between flights.

Deeper Analysis: Investment Trends in European NewSpace

European NewSpace has attracted over €2 billion in VC funding since 2020, led by Germany’s Isar Aerospace, France’s ArianeGroup, and Spain’s PLD Space. Governments are now shifting from pure grant models to co-investment and public-private partnerships, leveraging Horizon Europe and ESA’s Boost! program to de-risk technology development and scale manufacturing capacity.

Eric Berger
Senior Space Editor

Ars Technica