Maia is powered by methane-oxygen Prometheus engines developed by ArianeGroup for the European Space Agency's Themis demonstrator.
Maia is a two-stage rocket whose first and second stages are powered by Prometheus methalox engines developed by ArianeGroup under a European Space Agency contract for the Themis demonstrator.
ESA’s Themis program is a reusable first-stage rocket effort intended as Europe’s answer to Falcon and Starship.
ESA plans a first Themis demo flight for this year.
ESA’s Themis program is a reusable first-stage rocket program intended as Europe’s answer to Falcon and Starship.
Themis has a demo flight scheduled for this year after delays.
ArianeGroup and ESA are preparing the first hop test of the Themis reusable launcher demonstrator.
The European Space Agency’s Themis reusable rocket demonstrator will initially use the Esrange orbital launch complex for testing.
Dynamical modeling indicates near Earth asteroid 385268 may have been delivered from the Themis family in the outer main belt via Jupiter's 2:1 mean motion resonance.
The first 100-meter vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) test of the Themis T1H is expected NET April or May 2026.
The European Space Agency and prime contractor ArianeGroup are preparing for the first low-altitude hop test of the Themis reusable launcher demonstrator, currently scheduled for the second quarter of 2026.
Technical teams are utilizing the combined test phase to trial the interfaces between the Themis vehicle and the Kiruna launch pad’s fluid and electrical systems.
The Themis program operates in synergy with the ENLIGHTEN project, which focuses on advanced production technologies for the Prometheus engine.
The timing of the inaugural Themis T1H flight depends on seasonal conditions in northern Sweden.
The Themis prototype has been installed at the Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden.
The Themis T1H is a full-scale main-stage demonstrator designed to validate the complex vertical landing phase required for launcher recovery.
The Themis program was established in 2019 to mature the building blocks for a future family of eco-friendly European launchers.
Successful recovery of a Themis stage would signal a major shift in the European launch landscape away from historically expendable architectures such as Ariane 5 and Ariane 6.
The upcoming flight test will use the Themis T1H (1-Engine Hop) model and represents a milestone for the SALTO (reuSable strAtegic space Launcher Technologies & Operations) project.
An upgraded variant, Themis T1E, will conduct medium-altitude test flights from Esrange.