ESA Director of Space Transportation Géraldine Naja stated on October 22 that the first flight of the Themis reusable rocket demonstrator might not occur in 2026. Winter conditions at the Esrange Space Center in Sweden pose a significant challenge to the current testing schedule.
The agency plans to reach a go/no-go decision regarding a flight attempt before the winter shutdown by the end of November. Previously, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher had indicated in January that the first hop test was expected within the first quarter of 2026.
ArianeGroup, the prime contractor for the project, confirmed on October 7 that teams are currently defining a window for the next test following a successful second wet dress rehearsal. The development schedule requires a hop test to be completed before June 2027.
The Themis flight campaign is part of the European Union-funded SALTO initiative, which operates with a total budget of €42.8 million. The program aims to demonstrate the capability to launch, recover, and relaunch the rocket through two low-altitude hop tests.
