The development of a reusable engine for European rockets is making significant progress, with the early prototype of Prometheus undergoing full ignition. The successful test was conducted on June 22, 2023, at ArianeGroup’s testing facility in Vernon, France, and lasted for 12 seconds.
Prometheus is being developed by ArianeGroup under contract to the European Space Agency (ESA). The engine will undergo further testing at the German aerospace agency DLR’s test site in Lampoldshausen, Germany, at the end of 2023.
The engine boasts a 100-tonne thrust class and utilizes new materials and manufacturing techniques that aim to reduce its cost to just a tenth of Ariane 5’s Vulcain 2. The latter powers the core stage of Ariane 6, which is an upgraded version.
Prometheus burns liquid oxygen-liquid methane fuel, which is clean-burning and simplifies handling. This feature enables reusability and reduces the cost of ground operations before and after flight. A version that uses liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen is also in development.
The engine features variable thrust and multiple ignition capability, with additive layer manufacturing (3D printing) playing a significant role in reducing the number of parts, speeding up production, and reducing waste.
For the Vernon and Lampoldshausen tests, Prometheus is mounted in a prototype of a reusable rocket stage called Themis, which is being developed alongside the engine. The engine-stage combination will attempt a series of “hop-tests,” lifting a few meters above the ground to check flight and landing capability.
Prometheus and Themis are envisioned to be common technological building blocks for a future family of European launchers.
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