| Function | Partially reusable orbital launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | MaiaSpace (ArianeGroup) |
| Country of origin |  France |
| Size | |
| Height | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.5 m (11 ft) |
| Stages | 2 (plus optional 3rd) |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Mass | 500 kg (1,100 lb) when reusable 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) when expendable 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) with 3rd stage and fully expendable |
| Payload to SSO | |
| Mass | 500 kg (1,100 lb) when reusable 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) when expendable 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) with 3rd stage and fully expendable |
| Associated rockets | |
| Based on | Themis |
| Comparable | Miura 5,Firefly Alpha |
| Launch history | |
| Status | In development |
| Launch sites | ELS at Guiana Space Centre |
| First flight | 2026 (planned) |
| First stage | |
| Powered by | 3 ×Prometheus |
| Propellant | Methane/LOX |
| Second stage | |
| Powered by | 1 ×Prometheus |
| Propellant | Methane/LOX |
| Optional third stage –Colibri | |
| Powered by | multiple engines developed by Łukasiewicz–ILOT |
The Maia rocket is a future European orbital reusable launch vehicle under development by the French company MaiaSpace,a subsidiary of ArianeGroup. [1] [2] The rocket will consist of a first stage with three Prometheus engines,a re-ignitable second stage with a single Prometheus engine,and an optional Colibri kick stage with multiple engines developed by the Polish institute Łukasiewicz–ILOT. [3]
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Maia will deliver up to 500 kg to low Earth orbit (LEO) when the first stage is recovered and 1,500 kg when fully expendable. [4] The addition of Colibri will give the rocket a performance boost of at least 1,000 kg to LEO for each version. [2] The reusable first stage will be equipped with landing legs,grid fins,and an attitude control system for controlled landing on a barge at sea. [5] The inaugural expendable flight of Maia is expected in 2026 [4] and testing of the first stage recovery is expected to begin in 2027. [6]