Despite the age of the structure, the large assembly hall with its overhead cranes is sufficiently high and long to handle horizontally the rocket sections of around ten meters long and more than 3.5 m wide. diameter. “This assembly hall was used for rockets from Ariane 1 to Ariane 4. In terms of dimensions, it perfectly matches our needs for series production. The engines will arrive directly from a neighboring building. explains Jean-Michel Sannino, director of the MaiaSpace factory in Vernon. The manager is himself a former… member of ArianeGroup, where he worked on programs for the future.
Next to the mini-launcher under construction wait a handful of propellant tanks the size of a large water heater. “We are going to subject them to pressure and temperature tests to evaluate our new welding processes. For some, we will go to the limits” explains the factory director. A typical newspace approach where one does not hesitate to destroy in order to learn.
Bypassing the European geographic return rule
In April 2022, the subsidiary of ArianeGroup, a joint company between Safran and Airbus, embarked on the race to manufacture a reusable mini-launcher. In this segment, in Europe, there are numerous competitors: the Spanish PLD Space, the British Orbitex, the Germans RFA and Isar Aerospace as well as the French Latitude, HyprSpace, Sirius… These mini-launchers designed to put into orbit payloads between 500 kg and 1.5 tonnes hope to find a place alongside the medium and large launchers already on the market. Like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket or the European Space Agency’s Vega C and Ariane 6 launchers.
Thanks to their capacity to put into orbit loads up to ten times larger, large launchers have a mechanically lower price per kilo put into orbit thanks to economies of scale. Unless… “We must design and manufacture our launchers differently. Otherwise we won’t be able to be competitive.”explains Yohann Leroy, CEO of MaiaSpace.
MaiaSpace is equipped with the Prometheus engine, developed by ArianeGroup on behalf of the European Space Agency.
Maiaspace and its 230 employees have ambitious objectives: a first commercial flight in 2026, less than five years after its creation, and a rate of around twenty shots per year by 2032. Thanks to its relatively larger dimensions larger than other mini-launchers (50 m in height, 3.5 m in diameter), the rocket built in Vernon aims to be competitive in different market segments. The launcher will be capable of launching payloads of 500 to 1500 kg but also clusters of satellites in constellations with a price per kilo in orbit comparable to that of heavy launchers.
Supply the design offices by multiplying the tests
How ? By establishing itself as the missing link between the newspace symbolized by SpaceX and the “oldspace”, i.e. the traditional players in the sector. Thus 40% of its workforce comes from the historical space sector (ArianeGroup, CNES, ESA, etc.) and 60% comes from different backgrounds. “This is the right report, smiles the leader. Both to avoid making beginner’s mistakes thanks to experts who have already developed launchers, and at the same time to be able to do things differently.
Above all, for MaiaSpace, there is no question of reinventing the wheel. Rather than developing a new engine for its rockets, the company is equipping ArianeGroup with the 120-ton thrust Promethéus engine developed on behalf of the ESA to meet the need for reusable launchers. Same philosophy for the shooting range. She will take off her rocket from the old Soyuz rocket launch pad at the Guyanese space center, free since the departure of the Russians from Guyana.
The company also draws inspiration from Elon Musk’s recipes to accelerate its developments. MaiaSpace relies on the method «test and learn» (try and learn) which allowed SpaceX to develop its reusable rockets. “You learn more by failing than by staying behind a computer.” explains Yohann Leroy. Thus, in hall A37, for the manufacture of the first stage of its launcher, the teams will proceed in three stages. They will successively design two prototypes which they will push to their limits before producing the flight example.
In Vernon, MaiaSpace is testing the upper stage of its minilauncher.
And there’s nothing like field testing. The ArianeGroup subsidiary can take full advantage of the technical resources available in Vernon. In one of the site’s test areas, teams are beginning to test the separation mechanism between the two stages of the launcher. In another area, they evaluate the 3rd stage engines delivered by different suppliers. Elsewhere, they reproduce the ground operations of filling and emptying the second floor. “All of these tests provide our design offices with knowledge which in turn allows them to design prototypes which approximate the flight model, explains Jérôme Vila, launcher manager for MaiaSapce. The geographical proximity between the testing area and the workshops is key in our equation.”
A development model for the successor to Ariane 6
On the industrial level, MaiaSpace is not going to copy the ultra-integrated model of SpaceX which does almost everything itself to manufacture its launcher. “Depending on each piece of equipment: the engine bay, the avionics, the tanks… We look at whether it is better to do it ourselves or through a partner. Today, 40% of costs are generated by our partners outside France in Europe. explains Yohann Leroy.
On the other hand, there is no question of having its suppliers imposed by the European Space Agency (ESA) as is the case for Ariane 6 or Vega C. Subject to the rule of fair geographical return, the respective project managers, ArianeGroup and Avio are forced to select suppliers in countries that have contributed financially to their program. “We choose our partners wherever we want in Europe based on their competitiveness”he assures.
To overcome this constraint, MaiaSpace was able to benefit from the investments of its two key shareholders. And if the company will participate in the competition organized by the ESA in the field of minilaunchers, it is not to recover funds but to win institutional contracts. Safran and Airbus have already financed their subsidiary to the tune of 125 million euros and are expected to invest at least as much in 2025 to continue its development.
With the secret hope that these investments will be profitable for the future successor to Ariane 6. “The future European heavy launcher, if it draws inspiration from our methods, could cost three times less than traditional competitors”believes the leader.
To produce on a larger scale, MaiaSpace wants to have its own factory. Two sites are competing to host the “MaiaFactory”: the Vernon site, which offers proximity to the testing area and engine manufacturing, or that of Mureaux, in the neighboring department (Yvelines), where assembly is already underway. the new Ariane 6. The choice will be made by the end of the year.
