Workshop on future launchers

A workshop on future launch vehicles will take place on 8 April in Parador de Siguenza, northeast of Madrid in Spain. ESA has organised the workshop in order to prepare the Future Launcher Preparatory Programme (FLPP) and ascertain the views of industry. The workshop will address system studies and technology developments for future European expendable launchers and reusable launch vehicles. As ESA is in the process of finalising the technical content of the FLPP this workshop is an opportunity to present and discuss with industry the content of the programme.

Efforts are being made worldwide to decrease the cost of access to space. There are two ways of achieving this: in an evolutionary way by modifying expendable launchers or in a revolutionary way by introducing reusable launch vehicles.

Both ways require intensive and continuous work on technologies so as to be able to react quickly to market changes or an increase in competition, and long-term preparation will be required for the development of an effective reusable vehicle.