Wake Up, Little Susie
ArianeGroup’s ambitious new spacecraft proposal reawakens Europe’s vision of independent human spaceflight.
Author: Danny Tjokrosetio, Leonardo Times Editor
Concept art of Susie performing a soft landing.
The year is 2031. Looming above the palm trees of Kourou, a gleaming Ariane 6 stands poised and ready for liftoff. The scene is familiar to the Guiana Space Center, save for an unusual vehicle mounted on top of the rocket. A new dawn in space exploration is about to begin.
It is clear that the world is seeing a revolution in innovation like never before - rapid technological changes are also reiterated in the activities of spacefaring nations. Europe’s response to adapt to these changes in the space sector is the proposal of a new kind of spacecraft whose essence lies in reus...