The ArianeGroup-built Themis reusable booster demonstrator has arrived at the Esrange Space Centre in Sweden, following a journey of over 3,000 kilometres by road from Les Mureaux, France.
Developed under a European Space Agency contract, Themis represents Europe’s first full-scale demonstrator of a reusable rocket first stage. The initiative aims to foster the maturation of key technologies needed for the development of future reusable launch systems.
In December 2024, ESA announced that ArianeGroup had completed a key ‘fit-check’ test of the demonstrator, ensuring that all attachment points between major components connected smoothly. Following this, ArianeGroup and ESA teams completed the integration of the avionics and other critical systems, the final step before the stage was ready for shipment to its testing facility.
On 12 June, the 28-metre demonstrator began its journey from the former Ariane 5 main stage integration building in Les Mureaux, France, travelling across five countries to the Swedish Space Corporation’s Esrange Space Centre in Kiruna, northern Sweden. Two weeks later, the stage was rolled into its brand-new integration building on the grounds of the facility’s Launch Complex 3.
The initial Themis flight campaign will be managed as part of the European Union’s Salto project, which injected an additional €42.5 million into the project, of which the EU contributed €39 million. The flight campaign will begin with initial validation and system readiness operations in the vehicle integration building. It will then be transported to the launch pad, where its landing legs will be attached.
A wet dress rehearsal will then be conducted, followed by a hot fire test, before the demonstrator is readied for a series of hop tests. The first hop test will see it reach an altitude of just 20 metres before returning to the launch pad. While neither ESA nor ArianeGroup press releases specified a target date for the initial hop test, a European Union update indicated that the flight is expected to take place in late 2025, followed by two additional flights in early 2026.
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As a resident of Belgium I am curious whether the Themis booster passed near me on its way to the Esrange Space Centre in Sweden. I have not heard anything about this via the regular media and I have not found any further information about this transport online. Is there any information available about the trajectory of the Themis booster?