en.Wedoany.com Reported - European space startup The Exploration Company has initiated a development program for a heavy reusable launch vehicle, primarily funded through private financing, with the goal of demonstrating its core engine on a test stand by the end of 2028.
CEO Hélène Huby stated in an interview at the ILA Berlin Air Show that the actual launch vehicle is expected to be ready by 2033. The company unveiled a scaled model of the full-flow staged combustion cycle Storm engine at the exhibition, which uses liquid oxygen and biomethane as fuel. The system has been under development for about two years, with key components already tested at a scaled level.
The first stage of the heavy launch vehicle will be equipped with nine Storm engines, capable of delivering approximately 15 to 20 metric tons of payload into orbit in its initial phase. Future plans aim for a payload capacity of 40 metric tons in a reusable configuration, and up to 60 metric tons when the first stage is not recovered. The Storm engine has a design thrust of up to 180 metric tons at sea level. Sebastien Reichstadt, head of propulsion, noted that current efforts focus on turbomachinery, main combustion chamber hardware, regeneratively cooled nozzle extensions, and both oxygen-rich and fuel-rich preburners.
Huby explained that to shorten the development timeline, the company skipped the step of developing a small launch vehicle, which would have wasted approximately five to seven years. The Exploration Company had previously explored acquiring UK rocket startup Orbex, but negotiations fell through, and the British company has since gone bankrupt.
The company has received financial support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), and has also collaborated with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Huby stated that the company is nearing completion of the cargo return capsule under the existing ESA program, aiming to have 95% of subsystems reach Technology Readiness Level 6 (equivalent to a demonstration prototype) by the end of this month, with the remainder to be completed over the summer. The Exploration Company is preparing to bid for the next phase, competing with Thales Alenia Space. Under this program, now called Aladdin, the company is required to co-fund approximately 40% of the project, and Huby said the company has secured the necessary private support for the next stage.
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