Arianegroup unveiled this September 18 at the IAC its new project Susie (Smart Upper Stage for Innovative Exploration), a veritable “mini Starship” adaptable with Ariadne 6 and able to scale with the next generation. An Impressive and Capable Swiss Army Knife… If Funded.
The appeal of the foot to the European ministers before the meeting of the ESA is clear!
Ambitious Susie
For the first day of the IAC (International Astronautical Congress) in Paris this year, ArianeGroup has decided to strike hard from the start. With nothing less than a shuttle… whose key word is undoubtedly adaptability! Her name is Susie (for Smart Upper Stage for Innovative Exploration) and it is above all a rocket upper stage, fully reusable and automated, 12 meters long and 5 meters in diameter.
Designed to take off with Ariane 6 by replacing the entire upper composite (fairing + satellite), Susie will be designed with a view to future use with the next reusable generation… Which, like what SpaceX is developing with Starship, should lead to an almost totally reusable assembly. Because Susie, once separated from the launcher in orbit, will be able to accomplish a whole range of missions there before crossing the atmosphere in the other direction and coming to rest vertically thanks to an adapted propulsion.
New means
The industrialist’s presentation video lifts the veil on manned flight capacity with five astronauts (with the famous adaptation of the Ariane 6 launch site) aboard Susie, whether solo, in the service of a satellite or sub-assembly, or to a future space station in low orbit… or even beyond. Because, advantage of being designed for the “current” generation as for the future European heavy launcher, Susie could also be propelled to lunar objectives (an additional propulsion stage would have to be added to it).
With 25 tons displayed on the scale and 7 tons of payload, it is in any case a vehicle with impressive capacities which is presented to the public. The project is obviously the result of substantial upstream work, carried out with Airbus Defense & Space as well as Thales Alenia Space, within the framework of the NESTS initiative (New European Space Transportation Solutions) of the ESA.
You will have to take out the checkbook
Still, Susie today is not a project that has the assurance of being realized. This is indeed a concept that still needs to be funded and approved by ESA to have a chance of seeing the light of day. Because ArianeGroup will not engage alone in the adventure, which Europeans could not finance with their own funds.
It is therefore a question of convincing (a month and a half before the ESA ministerial) the various political authorities that it is possible to dream, in Europe, of an ingenious, versatile and ambitious orbital vehicle. Provided, however, that it does not cannibalize the entire industry through its costs. Behind the visuals, the manufacturers have not publicly quantified their proposal, nor given a precise horizon for it to materialize.
Source : ArianeGroup
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