A full-scale drop test of the European Space Agency’s Space Rider spaceplane ended abruptly after the test model’s parafoil failed to deploy as expected. This marks the second time this year that a Space Rider drop test has been interrupted by an anomaly, following an aborted attempt in May.
The incident occurred during the vehicle’s final system-level drop-test campaign, conducted earlier this month. According to ESA, an anomaly occurred during the deployment of the test model’s parafoil, which would have allowed it to glide safely to the designated landing area.
“The test model was lost as a result of the anomaly,” an ESA spokesperson told European Spaceflight. “An independent investigation is ongoing to determine its root cause and inform the next steps.”
This marks the second setback for Space Rider’s final system-level drop-test campaign this year.
As European Spaceflight reported in June, an earlier test attempt in May was aborted following an anomaly during the captive ascent phase, when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter carried the test model to altitude.
At the time, ESA confirmed that the test vehicle had been recovered safely. However, the agency explained that testing would not resume before October, primarily due to the availability of the test range.
Earlier drop tests in 2024 and 2025 used mass simulators to test Space Rider’s parafoil and autonomous landing systems. The final system-level drop-test campaign used a full-scale model that replicated the spacecraft’s mass, aerodynamic shape and landing gear, allowing ESA to validate its landing performance under more representative conditions.
ESA has not said whether it will need a replacement test model or when another test attempt could take place.
Despite the second failed drop test and the loss of the test model, ESA still expects Space Rider’s inaugural flight to take place in 2028. However, the target has shifted slightly from the first quarter of the year to the second.
Space Rider will be launched aboard a Vega C rocket equipped with the upgraded P160C first stage from the Guiana Space Centre. The mission is expected to be the first flight of the rocket to use the more powerful solid-fuel booster.
