ESA Will Pay an Italian Company Nearly $50 Million to Design a Mini-Starship

ESA will pay an Italian company nearly $50 million to design a mini-Starship

This is a “step forward in the transition of European launch systems toward full reusability.”…

ESA and Avio to study reusable upper stage

The European Space Agency and Avio have signed a contract to begin design work on a reusable upper stage for future Vega or other European rockets. The post ESA and Avio to study reusable upper stage appeared first on SpaceNews.

Europe’s Leap Towards Reusability: ESA and AVIO’s Ambitious Plans for a Reusable Upper Stage

In a pivotal moment for European space exploration, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Italian aerospace company Avio signed a groundbreaking contract on September 29, 2025, to advance the development of a reusable upper stage for future rockets.1 This agreement, valued at €40 million (approximately $47 million), marks a significant step in Europe’s ongoing efforts to embrace reusability in space launch systems, a technology that has revolution…

ESA and Avio sign contract for a reuseable upper stage demonstration mission – SatNews

The contract was signed by the European Space Agency’s Director of Space Transportation Toni Tolker-Nielsen and Avio’s Chief Commercial Officer and Launch Services Director Marino Fragnito, at the International Aeronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia. The European Space Agency and Avio signed a contract for 24-months of development activities aiming at the in-flight demonstration of a reusable upper stage. The activities, for a total value o…

ESA Awards €40M to Avio for Reusable Mini-Starship Demonstrator

In a move that underscores Europe’s push to catch up in the reusable rocket race, the European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a €40 million contract to Italian aerospace firm Avio to design a reusable upper-stage demonstrator for future launch vehicles. This initiative, detailed in a recent report by Ars Technica, aims to create a scaled-down version of SpaceX’s Starship, focusing on recoverable technology that could revolutionize orbital missio…

Avio Wins €40M ESA Contract to Design Reusable Upper Stage Demo

Credit: Avio / ESA The European Space Agency has awarded Italian rocket builder Avio a €40 million contract to design a reusable rocket stage demonstrator. ESA first published a call for the Phase 1 development of a reusable rocket upper stage in March 2024. This initial phase focused on the “identification of the technology-maturation needs for the reusable upper stage demonstration.” While the agency did not release any information about the c…