An ESA spokesperson told European Spaceflight that a full-scale test model for Space Rider has been lost during an October 2026 drop-test campaign after an anomaly in parafoil deployment. The loss involves the test article, not the operational spacecraft. The spokesperson said an independent investigation was underway to determine the cause and inform next steps.
The campaign targets the landing phase
Drop tests in 2024 and 2025 used mass simulators. The later system-level campaign uses a full-scale model representing Space Rider’s mass, aerodynamic shape and landing gear to assess landing performance. A pre-test account described the campaign’s focus as final descent and landing, rather than orbital re-entry.
AstronautiNEWS described a planned helicopter release from about 3,000 meters at Salto di Quirra. The same pre-test account reported a parafoil 10 meters wide and 27 meters long, designed to support the 2,950-kilogram spacecraft. Its planned setup used onboard avionics and guidance, navigation and control software to operate the parafoil during descent without human input.
The May attempt ended during captive ascent
In May 2026, a separate attempt was aborted during captive ascent beneath a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, and the test article was recovered safely. That attempt did not reach the October campaign’s parafoil-deployment anomaly.
The reported flight target is Q2 2028
On October 20, European Spaceflight reported that the inaugural-flight target had shifted from Q1 to Q2 2028. The publication also reported a planned launch on Vega C with an upgraded P160C first stage from the Guiana Space Centre; the Space Rider mission was expected to be the booster’s first flight.
