Irish NewSpace company to test rocket engines in Ireland

SUAS Aerospace on Team Awarded €4.9M for Horizon Europe Modular Space Launch Project

Irish space startup SUAS Aerospace announced it is part of a space industry consortium recently awarded €4.9M under Horizon Europe for a project to develop interoperability between space launch test infrastructures and launch systems. Funded by the European Commission, EU-BEST (European Bench for Engine and Stage Testing) will simplify access to space by designing, developing, and testing reuseable, modular launch equipment and test services. The project will be working on mobility and adaptability of ground infrastructure, with the ability to carry out industrial-scale testing.

This is the first commercial foray for SUAS, which started up in 2022 to develop a European space launch facility in Ireland. Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Chairman of the Board, commented, “This company is poised to lead the burgeoning European launch services sector, providing Europe with autonomous access to space.”

EU-BEST is focused on developing a plug-and-play system where components from different manufacturers can be tested on the same infrastructure, from prototyping through to production and re-use. EU standardisation will mean significant cost savings and increased competitiveness for European aerospace design, manufacturing and launch companies, enabling them to change both scale and approach to testing rocket engines and stages. The project will culminate with a test firing of Pangea Aerospace’s ARCOS aerospike rocket engine on EU-BEST infrastructure at the Aeroports de Catalunya. SUAS will provide the secondary location, proving the compatibility of the infrastructure with SUAS’ rocket engine test site in Ireland.

Pierre Cecchetti, Bid Manager at lead partner EES-Clemessy, explained the project, saying, “EU-BEST aims to carry out up to 200 engine and rocket stage tests each year, at a pre-propellant cost of around €25,000 for engines of up to 500kN thrust.”

In addition to Clemessy, the consortium includes Spacedreams SAS as technical leader; OHB Digital Connect; Pangea Aerospace; IEEC; Aeroports de Catalunya; and SUAS Aerospace.

“This team brings together established space industry leaders with several European NewSpace companies,” explained Edward Harris, Chief Operations Officer at SUAS Aerospace. “The invitation to be part of the consortium and the ultimate success of the bid is a significant endorsement of SUAS and our role in the developing European launch sector.”