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Are you talking about the Promotheus engine? Everything I've read about Arianespace's plans indicate that they aren't terribly interested in reusability. Arian
by twtw 9y ago
Are you talking about the Promotheus engine?
Everything I've read about Arianespace's plans indicate that they aren't terribly interested in reusability. Ariane 6, which is slated for first launch until at least 2020, will be initially expendable. The mentions of Adeline or using Promotheus on Ariane6 seem to be only speculative at this point. Given that they will only maybe start working on reuse after the expendable Ariane6 is launching, they seem to be more than a few years behind. More like a decade.
- kuschku 9y agoRemember that they've spent years already on Prometheus — Arianespace moves slow, but they constantly move forward.
- twtw 9y agoI understand that, but a reusable engine is not the same as a reusable rocket. If we are going to discuss engines, it seems that the appropriate comparison is the development of the Merlin-series engines, which started around 2004.
- nickik 9y agoWikipedia: > The European Space Agency began funding the Prometheus development in June 2017 with €85 million provided through an ESA capital mechanism called the Future Launchers Preparatory Program.[1] Based on what information have they been spending 'years' on that engine?
- solarkraft 9y ago> Arianespace moves slow, but they constantly move forward. ... way more slowly than SpaceX. That's not how a company could survive in the free market.