Arianespace to spin off MaïaSpace
June 10, 2022
By Chris Forrester
Rocket launch specialist Arianespace is to spin off a new subsidiary financed by France. MaïaSpace is the new business and the company will reportedly raise its own operational and financing cash.
The end result is that MaïaSpace is targeted to become Europe’s version of SpaceX which currently dominates the world’s reusable rocket business with its Falcon 9 vehicle.
The proposed MaïaSpace rockets will use the Themis reusability version powered by liquid oxygen and methane, as its first stage, powered by the Prometheus reusable engine.
Arianespace is developing the Themis and Prometheus applications and helped by the EU’s European Space Agency.
Yohann Leroy, formerly CTO and deputy CEO at Eutelsat, is the new president of MaïaSpace. He says that MaïaSpace will be looking for external private investment, additional to that provided by the Ariane Group, later this year or early in 2023. The target sum is around €100 million.
MaïaSpace is planning its first flight in 2026 and using the French rocket site at Kourou in French Guiana.