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\t\t\t\t\t\t30\/07\/2026<\/span> Themis is an ESA rocket prototype\u00a0\u2013 a flagship European demonstrator for low-cost rocket recovery and reuse technologies.\u00a0Powered by the reusable, liquid oxygen and methane-fuelled engine Prometheus, Themis is on the launch pad at the Esrange Space Center in Sweden.<\/p>\n The rehearsal on 23 July allowed ArianeGroup and SSC Space to practice countdown procedures and post-flight procedures and identify potential remaining anomalies. The rocket prototype was filled with liquid nitrogen cooled down to \u2013200\u00b0C to test the whole system and see how it holds up under the extreme cold and highly-pressurised systems as well as checking if all systems work correctly in these conditions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The data gathered during this test will play a key role in preparing Themis for its first flight, particularly during complex operations such as getting the cryogenic engine ready for ignition.<\/p>\n Themis will run on liquid methane and oxygen, but for this rehearsal liquid nitrogen was used for safety \u2013 it has similar properties in terms of cryogenic temperature and density, but is not flammable nor explosive.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Although the Prometheus engine that powers Themis has the same thrust as the main engine on Europe\u2019s heavy-lift rocket Ariane 6, it uses different propellants: liquid oxygen and liquid methane. Liquid oxygen is cooled to as low as \u2013183\u00b0C, so preparing and handling such cryogenic fluids for fuelling is a feat in itself. Compared to other rocket fuels such as hydrogen and kerosene, methane has advantages:\u00a0 it does not need to be as cooled to such extremes as liquid hydrogen does and is a larger molecule making it easier to handle and less prone to leaks, while delivering a higher performance than kerosene.<\/p>\n Themis, the first European reusable main stage\u2019s full-scale demonstrator, was developed by ESA\u2019s future Space Transportation preparation programme, with ArianeGroup as prime contractor and multiple European industrial partners. Once completed, Themis was taken forward by the Horizon Europe project\u00a0SALTO \u2013 funded by the European Commission \u2013 for the launch campaign. The SALTO project is part of the\u00a0EU Space Research and Innovation Work Programme\u00a0and managed by the EU executive agency HaDEA, bringing together 25 consortium partners from 12 European Union countries.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCool fuel<\/h2>\n
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