The European Space Agency (ESA) and Italian aerospace company Avio have signed a €40 million contract to develop technologies for a reusable upper stage rocket, marking a significant step toward enhancing Europe’s capabilities in sustainable spaceflight. However, most of the public reaction has been to the vehicle’s somewhat familiar characteristics.
Announced at the 2025 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney, the project draws visual and conceptual parallels to SpaceX’s Starship, though on a much smaller scale and with distinct European engineering roots.
The new upper stage features four flaps and proportions reminiscent of Starship, but it is designed to be powered by a solid rocket booster (SRB) as its first stage.
Specifically, Avio plans to repurpose the P120C motor, which is already in use as the first stage for the Vega C rocket and as strap-on boosters for the Ariane 6 launcher. This approach leverages existing hardware to reduce costs and accelerate development.
Over the next two years, Avio will focus on creating a vehicle capable of in-flight demonstrations, culminating in a preliminary design for both the rocket and its ground support infrastructure.
While details remain broad, Avio has hinted at using a combination of liquid methane and liquid oxygen as propellants. The company is also developing the MR10 engine, initially intended for the third stage of the upcoming Vega E rocket—a further evolution of the Vega C.
At approximately 36.5 meters tall, the proposed vehicle is about half the height of SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster alone, making it comparable in scale to emerging concepts like Stoke Space’s Nova rocket. Unlike Nova, however, the European design does not currently include a reusable first stage, as the P120C SRB is not equipped for recovery.
This initiative builds on prior European efforts in reusable rocketry. Last year, ESA released a study on heavy-lift capabilities, which included a concept from Germany’s Rocket Factory Augsburg featuring a similar flap-equipped upper stage.
More tangibly, Europe is advancing with projects like Themis, a reusable first-stage prototype akin to SpaceX’s early Grasshopper tests.
Themis, powered by the Prometheus methalox engine developed by ESA since 2017, recently arrived at Sweden’s Esrange Space Center for upcoming hop tests up to 100 meters. Prometheus is also eyed for future vehicles, including the partially reusable Ariane Next and Maiaspace’s Maia launcher.
The announcement has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some users poking fun at the design’s “goofy” proportions and Europe’s perceived lag in reusable technology. Critics often reference a decade-old clip of European space officials dismissing the viability of reusable rockets—a stark contrast to today’s landscape.
The timing of the contract’s signing at the IAC adds irony: Nine years ago, at the 2016 IAC in Guadalajara, Mexico, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Interplanetary Transport System, an early precursor to Starship aimed at making humanity multi-planetary.
Avio, a longstanding player in European spaceflight, has built its reputation on the Vega rocket series and boosters for Ariane 5 and 6. This contract represents a pivot toward reusability, aligning with global trends but tailored to Europe’s industrial strengths.
As Europe pushes forward, this development could bridge the gap in reusable upper-stage technology, fostering more cost-effective and frequent missions. ESA and Avio have not released further specifics, but the project signals a renewed commitment to innovation in the face of intensifying international competition.
Feature image: Max Evans (Starship) and Avio (concept).
The post ESA and Avio Unveil Plans for Reusable Upper Stage Rocket, Echoing SpaceX’s Starship Design appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.
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