Draft:MaiaSpace

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Declined by Avgeekamfot 20 minutes ago. Last edited by Avgeekamfot 20 minutes ago. Reviewer: Inform author.

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Comment: Needs additional citations. Also, while it might be notable, it seems like this content can also exist in the parent company's article. Avgeekamfot (talk) 03:11, 3 January 2025 (UTC)

MaiaSpace is a 100%-owned subsidiary of ArianeGroup.^[1], whose first project is Maia, a French project for a partially reusable lightweight space launch vehicle, whose development has been announced at the end of 2021, and for an operational commissionning in 2026. Comprised of a reusable first-stage, it will be able to put between 500 kilograms (1,102 lbs) (for the reusable version) and 1,500 kg (3,307 lbs) in low-Earth orbit (up to 2,500 kg with the additional Colibri upper-stage). The project, placed under the responsibility of the French industry-leader ArianeGroup, is involving start-ups and SMEs. It employs the liquid-propellant rocket engine Prometheus and is based on the Themis reusable rocket stage demonstrator.

History

MaiaSpace is a subsidiary spin-off of ArianeGroup and its creation has been announced on the 6th of December 2021 by Bruno Le Maire^[2],^[3] (at that time, the French Minister of Economics, Finance and Industry) in Vernon (France). Its objective is to combine the expertise of ArianeGroup in the area of space launchers, together with the swiftness of NewSpace start-ups (a hybrid formula already chosen for the development of the satellite constellation Kinéis). The objective assignated to MaiaSpace by Bruno Le Maire is a first orbital launch in 2026^[4].

The MaiaSpace's logo represents a green phœnix, symbolising the rebirth of the French space launchers industry, in a sustainable development context [réf. souhaitée].

In January 2023, ArianeGroup invested 6 million euros into MaiaSpace, bringing the total amount invested by the company to 10.9 million euros ^[5].

Context

This project's announcement came after realizing that the development of new launch systems was lagging behind in Europe. Indeed, the choice for reusability made by SpaceX for its launch vehicles, taken into account since their inception and effective since 2015, which allowed the company to acquire and accumulate expertise, has not been followed in Europe when developing the new Ariane 6 launch system, that seems to be less face aux lanceurs américains. Besides, there are more and more companies interested in this technology (including Russian and Chinese ones).

Even in Europe, the German space agency DLR made the choice to fund small-lift launch vehicles: RFA who is developing the RFA One vehicle, HyImpulse Technologies who is developing a hybrid propulsion launch vehicle, and Isar Aerospace who is making the Spectrum vehicle. These are in close competition with French private projects, all designed for small payloads, from Sirius Space Services (ex Strato Space System), Hybrid Propulsion for Space, Opus Aerospace, Venture Orbital Systems, and Spark Orbital.

Finally, a Franco-German agreement for additional funding of the Ariane 6 programme, stipulated in return the transfer of the Vinci rocket engine production to the Ottobrunn site in Germany^[6], and ultimately the manufacturer plans to cut 600 jobs in France and Germany.

Launch site selection

In the fall of 2021, the CNES launched a call for applications for accomodating small and middle-lift launch vehicles at the French-Guiana Space Centre (Centre Spatial Guyanais, CSG), thus expressing, in close collaboration with ESA, its wish for opening the European space-port towards new launch service providers.

Amongst the selected candidates, seven winners have been pre-selected throughout Europe, including two French candidates^[7]:

Avio (Italy)
HyImpulse Technologies (Germany)
Isar Aerospace (Germany)
MaiaSpace (France)
PLD Space (Spain)
Rocket Factory Augsburg (Germany)
Latitude (France)

The French-Guiana Space Centre offers a very favourable geographical location for near-equatorial orbit launches, while staying of interest for polar orbit ones.

The Diamant Launch Complex has been selected by the CNES to accomodate these new small and middle-lift launch vehicles. Its facilities will consist of shared installations (access road, power supply, etc.) that can be used by many launchers, as well as infrastructure specific to each launch system (launcher platform, assembly building, etc.).

Ultimately, MaiaSpace was attributed by the CNES the Soyuz Launch Complex, left unused since 2022, because of Russian retaliations against sanctions following the Ukraine war. Maia will share this launch pad together with another launch system, that will be selected by the European Space Agency^[8].

Characteristics

The Maia space launcher is derived from the Themis demonstrator, and, similarly to it, will employ liquid methane and oxygen. Based upon Themis for its first stage, it will be equipped with a second stage, thus making it an orbital launch vehicle.

At the end of 2023, the company announced that its launcher could be supplemented with a third optional stage, named Colibri, allowing for an increase of its carrying capacity from 1,500 to 2,500 kg (3,307 to 5,511 lbs) to low-Earth orbit^[9].

The Maia vehicle's performances will allow it to launch satellites ranging from 500 to 2,500 kg in low-Earth orbit^[3],^[10], positioning it amongst small-lift and middle-lift launch vehicles. It will lift-off from the former Diamant launch complex, currently abandoned, at the French-Guiana Space Centre, and its first stage will also land in French Guiana.

ArianeGroup further proposes of using Maia's first stage as an auxiliary booster for a future heavier launch vehicle. Indeed, the manufacturer offers a complete range of vehicles derived from it, a middle-lift vehicle, a heavy-lift one, as well as a super-heavy-lift vehicle (that will be equipped with auxiliary boosters), to meet with the New European Space Transportation Solutions (NESTS) program of the European Space Agency^[11]

Competition with other launchers

The capabilities of this space launch vehicle do not put it in competition with most of the other European micro-lanceurs that have been developed at the beginning of the 2020s, neither with Electron. On the contrary, it positions itself within the same segment as other similar small-lift vehicles, like RFA One, Spectrum, Vega, Firefly Alpha, RS1 and Hyperbola-2 (partially reusable).

Notes and references

^ Véronique Guillermard (24 January 2022). "Un nouveau vaisseau pour les lanceurs européens du futur". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 25 January 2022.
^ "Déclaration de M. Bruno Le Maire, ministre de l'économie, des finances et de la relance, sur la stratégie spatiale française et la politique industrielle, à Vernon le 6 décembre 2021". Vie publique.fr (in French). Retrieved 2021-12-14.
^ ^a ^b Dominique Gallois (6 December 2021). "Espace : Bruno Le Maire annonce le projet Maïa, futur minilanceur réutilisable d'ArianeGroup". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 7 December 2021.
^ Véronique Guillermard (6 December 2021). "Maia, la mini-fusée d'Ariane Group réutilisable française". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 7 December 2021.
^ Andrew Parsonson (2 March 2023). "ArianeGroup Invest €6M More into MaiaSpace". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
^ Mathilde Riou (24 September 2021). "Vernon : la production du moteur Vinci d'Ariane 6 transférée vers l'Allemagne". France 3 Normandie (in French). Retrieved 7 December 2021.
^ "Voici les sept fabricants de micro-lanceurs sélectionnés par le CNES pour de futurs lancements à Kourou". L'Usine Nouvelle (in French). 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
^ Andrew Parsonson (26 September 2024). "MaiaSpace Tapped to Take Over Soyuz Site in French Guiana". europeanspaceflight.com. Retrieved 27 September 2024..
^ Vincent Lamigeon (18 December 2023). "MaiaSpace, l'arme française dans la guerre des petits lanceurs". Challenges. Retrieved 17 January 2024..
^ Sophie Bécherel (6 December 2021). "Une fusée européenne réutilisable comme Space X : "L'Europe ne part pas de zéro", pour le PDG d'ArianeGroup". France Inter (in French). Retrieved 7 December 2021.
^ Norbert Lossau (24 January 2022). "Eine neue Familie europäischer Raketen". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 27 January 2022.