ESA Validates Space Rider Landing Accuracy with Drop Test Campaign

Credit: Thales Alenia Space

The European Space Agency has confirmed the successful completion of a series of drop tests, validating the landing accuracy of its reusable Space Rider spacecraft.

Space Rider is a reusable spacecraft initiative aimed at providing affordable access to low Earth orbit. Designed for long-duration missions, it can remain in orbit for up to three months before returning to Earth, with the Return Module equipped with a parafoil for precise, controlled landings.

In August 2024, ESA announced the successful completion of an initial drop test campaign with a 3,000-kilogram mass simulator controlled from the ground. At the time, the agency stated that the next test campaign, focusing on autonomous control, would take place in the autumn of the same year. On 9 July, ESA revealed that the second set of drop tests had been completed in June 2025, more than six months later than originally anticipated.

The June 2025 test campaign took place at the Salto di Quirra testing range in Sardinia and was led by Thales Alenia Space Italia, the co-prime contractor responsible for the reentry module. The testing utilized the same 3,000-kilogram simulator from the original set of tests. The simulator included measurement devices, control avionics, two winches to control the parafoil’s steering lines, and a canister to store the parafoil. It also included concrete ballast to ensure the mass was representative of the 3,000-kilogram Space Rider Reentry Module.

Over three separate drop tests, the simulator was dropped from an Italian Armed Forces CH-47 Chinook helicopter at altitudes ranging from 1 to 2.5 kilometres. At the maximum altitude, the test lasted approximately 12 minutes, with a sustained vertical speed of 4 m/s and a controlled landing speed of 2 m/s.

The next stage in validating the vehicle’s descent and landing systems will be a system drop test campaign. This campaign will utilize a full mockup of the reentry module, replicating its weight, aerodynamic shape, and landing gear.

A final test campaign will then be used to evaluate landing stability by simulating worst-case touchdown scenarios, ensuring that the payloads onboard are not subjected to excessive shocks. This final phase of the test will be conducted at the new landing facility at the Salto di Quirra testing range.