A FRENCH, SCOTTISH AND GERMAN ROCKET COMPANY WALK INTO A BAR

Last week I wrote about SpaceX Raptor and RocketLab Rutherford engines, two of the higher profile rocket engines in the private sector. I thought it would be useful to provide a quick round up of the top European companies and what makes them really exciting...

The French Connection.

We cant talk about European space rockets without talking about Arianespace, and its infamous Ariane rockets. They have launched over 250 rockets since the 1980s ( with 95.4% success rate).

Their new Ariane 6 uses its (1,324 kN, vacuum) Vulcain 2.1 engine, which is a liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen engine for its core stage, and the 180KN Vinci engine for its upper stage.

They launch heavy payloads for government, commercial, and scientific missions.

Eco-Friendly Scottish Rockets.

Scotland-based Orbex is developing its Prime rocket that used a bi-propellent : LOX and bio-propane - a clear positioning on carbon-neutrality and being eco-friendly, claiming "‘the world’s most environmentally friendly space rocket". It also utilizes lightweight high-tech materials to maximize efficiency, and are largely resusable.

They are currently prepsring for their first launch, planned from the Sutherland spaceport in Scotland. Their target market is for small satellite "Cube Sat" launch, especially UK and European clients, and be able to launch 150kg payloads into a 500km synchronous orbit.

Also based in Scotland is Skyrora, which makes its three-stage Skyrora XL rocket, powered by its Skyforce-, a 70KN thrust, hydrogen peroxide and RP-1 (kerosene) engine. It uses an in-house fuel called Ecosense, partially derived from recycled plastic.

Skyrora are targeting responsive, flexible small satellite launches with an emphasis on sustainable solutions- and is developing a space tug. They will offer trips to sun-synchronous or polar orbits from Saxavord Spaceport in Shetland (and Spaceport Nova Scotia).

German Efficiency.

Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) is a German-based company that makes the three-stage RFA One rocket, based on liquid oxygen and kerosene. It is a staged combustion engine (the first for a mini-launcher?) with a modular approach to allow configurations tailored for specific missions, with particular focus on providing commercially reliable small-satellite launches for European commercial and institutional markets. It aims to achieve low cost missions bu using low-cost stainless steel.

RFA has a very unfortunate incident on 2024 when its core stage engine test blew up spectacularly at the Saxaford Spaceport in Scotland. (my colleague Andy Campbell wrote a wonderful and reflective article on this here).

Isae Aerospace is also a German-based rocket company whose Spectrum rocket uses LOX and liquid propane. This gives it a clean combustion and efficient thrust while being easier to handle than liquid hydrogen engines.

They are targeting low-cost, high-frequency launches to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for small payloads.