Europe’s reentry ambitions didn’t start with Mission Possible, and they won’t end with it. The Exploration Company’s first orbital controlled reentry mission follows a path paved by decades of institutional expertise and technical achievement.
From ARD in 1998 to IXV in 2015, Europe has steadily advanced its understanding of autonomous and controlled reentry. These missions proved key principles, tested critical systems, and generated knowledge that remains foundational today.
Mission Possible builds directly on that legacy, translating lessons learned into a new industrial and financial context. This is not a reset, but a progression. One that values what came before, while adapting to what’s needed next.
ARD: Pioneering Reentry on a Tight Budget
The Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator (ARD), developed by ESA and launched in 1998, was an important early step in validating autonomous reentry. It was realized repurposing unspent allocations in the post-spaceplane development phase. Direct negotiation with Aerospatiale, combined with a highly focused set of technical requirements, enabled delivery in under 5 years, even if the overall project took almost 8 years due to 501 failure-
ARD’s success was made possible through collaboration.
The Italian Space Agency supported parachute testing, the French Navy recovered the capsule, and the launch was integrated into Ariane 5’s qualification campaign. The real cost, including in-kind contributions and cross-program support, reached 150 million euros (inflation-adjusted).
While data from ARD was collected successfully, it was underutilized due to a lack of follow-on funding. Despite this, ARD laid important groundwork for Europe’s reentry capabilities.
IXV: Controlled Reentry and Thermal Protection Innovation
The Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV), led by Italy and launched in 2015, focused on demonstrating advanced thermal protection and controlled reentry. It marked significant progress in reusable surface technologies and system-level validation. With an estimated cost near 200 million euros (inflation-adjusted) in the early 2000s, IXV benefited from broader design maturity and institutional support.
The project evolved from the earlier French-led Pre-X initiative and eventually became a cornerstone of Italy’s national space agenda. IXV contributed meaningful technical advances to Europe’s aerospace ecosystem. In a similar case to ARD, IXV wasn’t embedded in a clear technological roadmap, making long-term impact limited. IXV’s achievements were clear, though the lack of direct follow-up limited its operational legacy.
Mission Possible: A New Development Model
Mission Possible, part of TEC’s Nyx roadmap, aims to validate key systems for controlled reentry and orbital services. It takes a different approach: industrially led, privately funded, and structured around a scalable roadmap. The mission reflects a new model for space development in Europe, prioritizing speed, iteration, and cost-effectiveness.
Rather than developing custom systems, TEC integrates off-the-shelf, flight-proven, and up-tested components. For example, the Parachutes from Airborne Systems, previously used on SpaceX’s Dragon, are included to reduce qualification timelines and technical risk. Documentation is limited to what is essential for system understanding and not produced for its own sake.
This model enables faster learning cycles, lowers cost, and supports rapid deployment of follow-on missions.
A Shared Mission for Europe
ARD and IXV advanced European capabilities and created institutional knowledge that continues to be fundamental. Mission Possible builds directly on that legacy, focusing on operational value and continuity. It is part of a long-term roadmap that includes return services, orbital logistics, and future human-rated systems.
By delivering real flight data and enabling quick iteration, Mission Possible strengthens Europe’s position in the global space economy. It supports the transition from one-off demonstrators to sustained capability.
The goal is not to replace the past but to extend it, combining heritage with a development model adapted to today’s industrial and geopolitical context.
