Themis is a reusable launch vehicle demonstrator being developed by ArianeGroup with support from the European Space Agency to test vertical takeoff and landing technologies.
Themis reusable space launcher demonstrator will begin tests at Spaceport Esrange in 2023, starting with first-stage hop tests to achieve vehicle liftoff and recovery.
The proposed NESTS launcher family is modular and built around common technological building blocks such as the Prometheus engine and technologies developed under the Themis program.
The E-THEMIS thermal emission imaging instrument was delivered to JPL by the Arizona State University team developing the instrument.
The SpIRIT mission will space-qualify three technologies: TheMIS (Thermal Management Integrated System), Mercury (an adaptive autonomous low-latency communications module), and an Australian-developed high-efficiency electric propulsion system.
Hornet exhibited two solutions at DSEI 2021: a Hornet with its Active Protection System on Hornet’s booth and a Hornet mounted on a TheMIS UGV on Milrem’s booth.
The aim of the Themis project is to demonstrate Europe’s technological capacity in reusability to enable ESA member states by 2022 to determine the range of launchers suited to Europe’s needs around 2030.
ArianeGroup received a €33 million contract from the European Space Agency to begin the first development phase for the Themis reusable rocket stage demonstrator.