Maia, Europe’s first reusable eco-responsible mini-launcher
The Maia rocket has been developed under an Agile® methodology by MaiaSpace, an ArianeGroup subsidiary. It is Europe’s first reusable mini-launcher which incorporates first-stage vertical landing on an offshore barge. With it, MaiaSpace will be able to offer highly competitive, reactive space mobility options, and at the same time help to speed up acquisition and extension of reuse technologies in Europe.
ArianeGroup set up MaiaSpace in 2022 with the goal of rapidly developing a competitive, reusable, eco-responsible mini-launcher. To do this, MaiaSpace combines the best of two worlds: the flexibility and reactivity of a start-up working in “test & learn” mode using an Agile® approach, allied with the technological launch systems expertise and experience of ArianeGroup and its European industrial partners. MaiaSpace is particularly concerned with sustainability, with a focus on reuse and an eco-design approach implemented right from the very first day. It is the first European start-up which has opted to power its launcher with the Prometheus® reusable engine running on MethaLox (bio-methane and liquid oxygen mix), developed by ArianeGroup for the European Space Agency (ESA).
The Maia rocket exists in both a reusable version, capable of placing payloads of up to 500 kg in sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), and an expendable version, capable of delivering of up to 1.5 tonnes to SSO. MaiaSpace will offer access to space for all types of satellites: nano-satellites of 50 kg and under, microsatellites, smallsats from 250 to 500 kg, up to satellites of more than 1.5 tonnes. With its optional Colibri kick-stage integrated into a 3.5 metre diameter fairing which will enable it to deliver a performance boost of at least one tonne to low Earth orbit (LEO) for each version, Maia is ideal for a wide variety of missions, notably for reactive deployment of constellations with precise orbital positioning, and for the in-orbit services (IOS) market. Maia commercial operations are scheduled to begin in 2026.
