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AVIO Signs Contract With ESA For the Development of the Space Rider System
December 10, 2020 GMT
ROME (BUSINESS WIRE) Dec 10, 2020
AVIO and Thales Alenia Space (Thales 67%, Leonardo 33%) as co-contractor, signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of the automated reusable Space Rider transportation system, designed for deployment by the new Vega C light launcher into low Earth orbit (LEO). The total worth of the contract is 167M€.
Space Rider is Europe’s solution for its own affordable and reusable end-to-end integrated space transportation system for unmanned missions and for routine access and return from low orbit. It will be used to transport a variety of payloads into different low Earth orbit (LEO) altitudes and inclinations.
The European Space Agency has awarded two contracts for the delivery of the Space Rider flight model, a small reusable spacecraft aimed at robotic missions in low Earth orbit, and the associated ground segment.
Vega payload carriers and Space Rider (Credit: ESA)
ROME, 9 December 2020 (Telespazio PR) ALTEC and Telespazio today signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to manage the ground segment and operations for the Space Rider mission.
Space Rider is an unmanned space vehicle with a payload capacity of about 600 kg, able to carry out scientific and technological experiments in microgravity conditions, while orbiting at an altitude of about 400 km.
At the end of the mission it will return safely to Earth, thus ensuring full recovery of the load.
The reusable vehicle will be built by an industrial team led by