User:Sphaeral/sandbox
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Space |
| Founded | 2023 (Luxembourg) |
| Founders | Stan Rudenko Sergey Sopov |
| Headquarters | Luxembourg / Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Products | Rocketship reusable launch system |
| Website | https://www.aspire.space/ |
Aspire Space is an international space transportation company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The company develops fully reusable launch and orbital transportation systems intended to provide frequent and cost‑efficient access to low Earth orbit and beyond.[1][2][3]
History
[edit]Aspire Space was founded in 2023 in Luxembourg by engineers with experience in heavy‑lift systems (Zenit; Energia; Energia–Buran), international commercial programs (Sea Launch; Argo), and reusable launch architectures.[4][5] In 2025 the company moved operational activities to the United Arab Emirates.[1][2]
The engineering leadership includes Sergey Sopov (CTO; Energia–Buran; Sea Launch; S7 Space; MTKS/Argo), Yuri Arzumanyan (Head of Systems Engineering; Sea Launch; Cyclone‑2K; KSLV; Soyuz operations at the Guiana Space Centre), Vadim Lukashevich (aerospace systems expert; Sukhoi projects), and Nikolai Sokolov (Head of the Design Bureau, Abu Dhabi; S7 Space; RSC Energia).[4][5]
Also contributing to the early development of the company’s technologies was Valery Aliev (1955–2025), who served as chief designer of the initial launch vehicle in 2024–2025.
On 30 October 2025 Aspire Space introduced Rocketship, a fully reusable two‑stage orbital transportation system combining a methalox booster and an autonomous upper‑stage spacecraft. Planned milestones include upper‑stage engine hot‑fire testing in Q3 2026 and a first integrated flight in 2030.[6]
Technology
[edit]Rocketship is designed for rapid turnaround and mission flexibility. In a fully reusable configuration it is expected to deliver up to 3 tonnes to orbit, 12.5 tonnes with first‑stage reuse, and 15 tonnes in expendable mode.[6] The launch vehicle employs ten methalox engines developed with LEAP 71, a Dubai‑based company: five main engines rated at 1,000 kN each and five upper‑stage engines at 200 kN, designed using computational engineering methods.[7]
The D2 Cargo upper stage functions as an autonomous orbital spacecraft, transporting up to 3 tonnes to and from orbit, supporting in‑orbit refueling and return to Earth. It is also proposed as a platform for research and advanced manufacturing in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and semiconductors.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Aspire Space and LEAP 71 Partner to Build Large Reusable Space Launch Systems in the UAE". 26 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Aspire Space relocates to UAE, collaborates with LEAP 71 on reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle". 29 June 2025.
- ^ "Plan for UAE-built rockets primed to boost standing in global space race". 26 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Relokanti iz Rossii postroyat kosmicheskuyu programmu dlya arabskikh emiratov". 2 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Can computers and Russian engineers build a reusable rocket in Dubai?". 29 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Aspire Space – About".
- ^ "LEAP 71 Advances in Rocket Engine Program, Developing Meganewton‑Class Propulsion Systems". 20 June 2025.