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ArianeGroup's 5 kN GRETA completes hot‑fire campaign as ESA funds next development phase

ArianeGroup completed a hot‑fire test campaign of its 5 kN GRETA rocket engine at Trauen, demonstrating stable operation, controlled shutdowns and multiple restarts. ESA has awarded a follow‑on contract to advance the hydrogen‑peroxide/ethanol engine for landers and Ariane 6 kick stages.

Discovered 2026-02-26T01:56:00.902775-08:00 | 2026-02-26T01:56:00.902775-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

GRETA cleared key technical milestones in hot‑fire testing — stable operation, controlled shutdowns and multiple restarts — and has secured an ESA contract to continue development, signalling institutional backing for maturation and near‑term qualification.
The engine’s 5 kN thrust class and restart capability target landers and Ariane 6 upper/kick‑stage roles, supporting proposals for Ariane 6 evolution and increased mission flexibility (Ariane 6 evolution; ASTRIS kick‑stage funding).
GRETA’s hydrogen‑peroxide/ethanol propellant concept offers a lower‑toxicity, potentially more sustainable alternative to conventional hypergolics, aligning with broader European support for decarbonisation and funded R&D programmes in sustainable aerospace (EU Clean Aviation funding).

Reported By

European Spaceflight weheadedtomars.com space24.pl Aviation Week