Space Rider will be launched into space on a VEGA-C vector from the European spaceport in Kourou, in French Guiana.
Space Rider is a project of theEuropean Space Agency (ESA). Its aim is to allow the execution of technological and research experiments in a number of fields including pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, biology and natural sciences.
In December 2020, ESA signed the original contract with the industrial team that will develop the first Space Rider, which will be able to execute at least 5 missions. The contract includes the development of the space segment and the related Ground Segment. Launching and operations in orbit will be governed by other agreements at a later date.
Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture of Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), and AVIO will build the space vehicle, which will be made up of two main elements: the AVUM Orbital Module (AOM), built by AVIO, and the Re-entry Module (RM), which Thales Alenia Space will be responsible for.