European Space Agency  

ESA loses full-scale Space Rider test model after parafoil deployment anomaly during drop test

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The European Space Agency said a full-scale test model of its Space Rider reusable space vehicle was lost earlier this month after an anomaly during parafoil deployment in a drop test. The loss underscores a setback in testing the recovery system, though the available report provides no further detail on the anomaly or program schedule.

Discovered 2026-10-20T08:04:56.075435-07:00 | 2026-10-20T08:04:56.075435-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The loss occurred during a drop test of the parafoil recovery system, a key test activity for Space Rider’s return from flight.
  • ESA has confirmed the model was lost, but the report gives no details on the anomaly’s cause or implications for the program timeline.

Reported By

European Spaceflight
Sources Tracked
1
First Seen
2026-10-20T08:04:56.075435-07:00
Latest Update
2026-10-20T08:04:56.075435-07:00
Coverage
Space

Sources

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