Programme for Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator in Europe

Programme for Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator in Europe (PRIDE)
Program overview
OrganizationESA and Italian Space Agency
PurposeReusable spaceship for ESA
StatusCritical design review
Programme history
First flightQ3 2025[1]
Vehicle information
Launch vehicle(s)Vega C

The Programme for Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator in Europe (PRIDE) is an Italian Space Agency programme that aims to develop a reusable robotic spaceplane named Space Rider in collaboration with the European Space Agency.

The PRIDE programme was approved at the ESA Ministerial Council in Naples, Italy on 21 November 2012 under the parent ESA programme called Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP). The Space Rider spaceplane will be similar to, but smaller and cheaper than, the Boeing X-37. It will be launched in 2025[2] by the Vega C rocket, operate robotically in orbit, and land automatically on a runway.[3]

  1. ^ https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/08/space-rider-update/
  2. ^ Richards, Bella (27 August 2023). "ESA's Space Rider likely to launch third quarter of 2025, program manager says". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions on IXV". ESA. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.