SALTO Project Prepares for First European hop Test Attempt as Themis Arrives to Esrange Space Center
Themis, Europe’s first full-scale reusable rocket demonstrator, has arrived at its test site, SSC’s Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden, marking the beginning of the SALTO project’s ground and flight test campaign preparations.
As a partner in the SALTO consortium, GTD contributes to both the on-board and ground segments. The company has developed a prototype of the Ground Autonomous Flight Termination System (GAFTS), a modular safety solution to support launch operations at various spaceports, in collaboration with ArianeGroup, CNES and SSC. GTD has also developed IT demonstrators to enable flexible and scalable ground services based on Industry 4.0 technologies. In partnership with MT Aerospace, GTD has contributed to an automated and remotely operated system for transporting and erecting the launcher from the integration building to the launch pad.
The arrival of Themis at the Esrange Space Center, owned and operated by the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), marks a new chapter for the Horizon Europe project SALTO. The project will now first attempt to demonstrate reusable launch vehicle technologies in-flight, througha test-and-learn approach.
Transported from ArianeGroup Les Mureaux, France, Themis is Europe’s first full-scale reusable rocket stage demonstrator, developed under ESA’s Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP).
Now it has reached its temporary home at “Launch Complex 3” in Esrange. Over the coming weeks, teams from ArianeGroup and the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) will finalize integration procedures inside a newly constructed facility tailored to support Themis operations.
Themis will then undergo several key stepsknown as “combined tests” where joint operations of launcher and launchpad will be conducted, allowing engineers to validate the performance of the vehicle andof its ground-handling systems, including autonomous cable reconnection procedures.
The first flight of Themis will be a low-altitude vertical take-off and landing, referred to as a “hop test”. The data and experience gained during this short but critical maneuver will formthe foundation for progressively more advanced test flights.
About Themis
Themis is Europe’s first full-scale reusablerocket stage demonstrator, developed under ESA’s Future Launchers PreparatoryProgramme (FLPP) with ArianeGroup as prime contractor. The vehicle is designed to explore the feasibility of recovering and reusing a main stage via vertical take-off and landing—critical capabilities for reducing the cost of access tospace.
About SALTO Project
The ongoing SALTO (Structured Agile LauncherTechnology Operations) project, funded through the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme, provides the framework and funding for Themis firststage demonstrator hop test campaign. SALTO supports Europe’s broader ambition to master reusable launch systems by fostering both technological maturity and operational experience through demonstrator platforms like Themis.
The journey of Themis—from design todeployment—represents not only technological innovation but also pan-European collaboration. The project’s consortiuminvolves 25 partners from 12 countries:
- ArianeGroup SAS, ArianeGroup GmbH, MTAerospace AG, Safran Data Systems, Safran Electronics & Defense, AvioS.p.A., Sabca, Thales Alenia Space Belgium S.A., GTD Sistemas de Información S.A., GMV Aerospace and Defence SA, Deimos Engineering and Systems S.L.U, Sener TAFS SAU, Swedish Space Corporation, Amorim Cork Composites SA;
- Research institutes: German Aerospace Center (DLR), CNES, ONERA, IRT Jules Verne, INCAS;
- Start-ups and SMEs: ID-Services, SharkRobotics SARL, G.L. Electronic s.r.o, SIA WIT Berry, Réaltra Space Systems Engineering, Space Forest sp. z o.o.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe programme under grant agreement No 101082007. More information on SALTO project www.salto-project.eu.
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