Content overview: “ESA Space Rider Prototype Crash in Drop Test Raises Questions for Europe's Reusable Spacec”. A full-scale prototype of the European Space Agency's Space Rider vehicle crashed during a drop test earlier this month after its parachute failed to deploy. The incident occurred during a test of the spacecraft's recovery systems, which are critical for its planned reusability. ESA officials acknowledged the failure but expressed hope that it would not significantly delay the program.
Space Rider is designed to be Europe's first reusable orbital spacecraft, intended to launch on a Vega-C rocket, conduct experiments in low Earth orbit, and return to Earth with a soft landing. The drop test was part of a series to validate the vehicle's parachute and landing systems. The prototype was released from a helicopter at high altitude, but the parachute malfunction led to a hard impact. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.