The Space Rider is a project of automated space vehicle, which can be reused for unmanned re-entry and is currently being studied by the ESA and mainly funded by Italy.

The Space Rider is a project of automated and reusable space vehicle for unmanned re-entry, which is currently being studied by the ESA and is mainly funded by Italy.

This mini-shuttle picks up the baton from IXV, an experimental space shuttle developed in Italy and tested in 2015, and should debut in 2021.

Strongly wanted by the Italian Space Agency, Space Rider is the result of an agreement between the ESA and Thales Alenia Space, together with the European Launch Vehicle consortium setup by Avio and the ASI. CIRA will play an important role in this system, up to the development and increase of telecommunication satellite applications.

Space Rider will be launched from the European spaceport of French Guyana, aboard the ESA VEGA vector, in its new C version. It could remain up to two months in space, testing new in-flight technologies and carrying out several microgravity experiments, whose results will be analyzed during the re-entry on Earth.

The space shuttle, which is capable of carrying out a controlled atmospheric re-entry from the low terrestrial orbit, will be made available to commercial and institutional customers and will have an 800-kg payload.

‣ News

TUESDAY 29 OCTOBER 2024

JUICE’s RIME Radar Pings the Moon and Listens to Earth ‣

ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, Juice, launched the 14th April 2023, will make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with a suite of the state-of-the-art instruments MORE...

TUESDAY 29 OCTOBER 2024

CUBESAT Training Course ‣

From October 28 to November 8, 2024 MORE...

TUESDAY 29 OCTOBER 2024

Working Group Africa Training of Trainer Program ‣

The event, organized by ASI in collaboration with KSA, ISPRA and the School of Aerospace Engineering of the University "La Sapienza", took place in Nairobi MORE...

FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2024

First results from the NUT project ‣

Comparing the effects of psychophysical stress on astronauts and submariners MORE...

SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER 2024

75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan: A Step Forward for Africa in Space ‣

From October 14 to 18, 2024, Milan hosted the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), one of the largest global events in the space sector, which brought together space agencies, universities, research centers, industries, and numerous representatives from civil society around the world. This unique opportunity for dialogue and collaboration offered an unprecedented chance for the development of space capabilities in emerging countries this year. Among the participants, with the support of ASI in collaboration with the Ministry of University and Research, were 14 Fellows—young professionals and students, including 9 women and 5 men—hailing from 11 African countries: Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda. This participation reflects the commitment of the Italian Government under the Mattei Plan for Africa, aimed at fostering greater inclusivity and diversity in the space sector, with a particular focus on promoting African youth talent. In addition to these promising individuals, 12 SMEs and startups from various African countries had the opportunity to participate in this important event. These companies included:

  • DO-Launch (Egypt),
  • Davacc Tech (Kenya),
  • Team AHEAD (Rwanda),
  • KM-Spatial (Zimbabwe),
  • TELNET HOLDING (Tunisia),
  • Phymer (Morocco),
  • Galaxy Aerospace Ghana and Xavier Space Solutions (Ghana),
  • COFITEL (Tunisia),
  • BASSEER Technology Innovation Sarl (Algeria),
  • FARIS Technologies (Ethiopia),
  • Pegasus Universal Aerospace (South Africa).
These African companies were invited to participate in IAC 2024 as part of the collaboration between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and ICE Agency. Thanks to ICE’s support, the businesses were accompanied by commercial analysts and hosted in a large exhibition area, where they had the opportunity to hold B2B meetings and participate in the conference's various networking initiatives. Their participation allowed them to gain full visibility into cutting-edge developments across all space domains. Furthermore, ICE Agency, within the framework of its collaboration with ASI, also hosted heads of space agencies and institutions responsible for space policies from African countries. This initiative strengthens ties between Italy and emerging space nations, promoting sustainable partnerships and the development of local capabilities through knowledge exchange and technological innovation. The 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan thus reaffirms itself as a crucial event not only for the global space community but also for emerging nations, offering a valuable opportunity to build lasting collaborations and advance the development of the space sector in Africa.