The European Space Agency's (ESA) reusable spacecraft under development, "Space Rider," is roughly the size of two small vans and capable of performing tasks such as pharmaceutical research and in-orbit manufacturing. After spending up to three months in Earth orbit, it can descend using a paraglider for a precise landing on a runway. Following two months of drop tests in 2024, the Space Rider team returned to the Salto di Quirra test range on Sardinia, Italy, for a new two-week testing campaign.

This drop test campaign had two objectives: qualifying the parachutes used to slow the spacecraft during descent and testing the software that controls the parafoil to guide the Space Rider re-entry module to a precise landing point. The Space Rider models were dropped from altitudes of 1 to 2.5km by an Italian Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Upon orbital return, the vehicle experiences speeds over six times the speed of sound and temperatures exceeding 1,600°C. To decelerate and land safely, it is equipped with a series of deployable parachutes, including a conical drag chute and a guidance parachute. Three descent system deployment tests were conducted, with the parachutes successfully deploying in all cases, validating the deployment and inflation sequence of the entire parachute chain. On another test model, three closed-loop drop tests were also successfully performed, where the model descended autonomously to landing using only its own sensors and actuators. The tests demonstrated that Space Rider can land smoothly with 150-meter accuracy, flying for 12 minutes from 2.5km altitude, with a vertical speed of 4m/s and landing speed of 2m/s—all controlled by the parafoil system.

The success of these tests was enabled by close collaboration between Italian industry and defense sectors. The tests were led by Thales Alenia Space Italy, supported by multiple industrial partners, with the Italian Air Force and Army providing ground logistics and flight operations support. Only a few steps remain to complete the validation of Space Rider's descent and landing phase. Subsequent tests will use full-scale models of the return module for system drop tests, including exploration of worst-case scenarios for landing stability. The final step will also be conducted with support from the Italian Ministry of Defense, utilizing a new landing facility. Space Rider is designed for rapid turnaround, requiring only six months of maintenance after each mission before returning to space for experiments.