Other Capsules: Europe, the US and Japan
Who else is building return capsules, and how far along are they?
Chapter summary
many companies are building capsules, few have recovered one.
Key takeaways
- 1
In Europe, ATMOS Space Cargo splashed down its Phoenix 1 demonstrator after two hours in orbit and raised €25.7 million in April 2026 for three Phoenix 2 capsules; The Exploration Company's first Nyx demonstrator re-entered in June 2025 but was lost before splashdown, and ESA contracted it in September 2026 for an ISS cargo flight by mid-2029; Space Forge received £10 million from ESA's GSTP programme for its Pridwen heat shield.
- 2
In the US, Inversion Space's Ray is in orbit and Arc is in development; Outpost plans its first re-entry in early 2027.
- 3
Japan's ElevationSpace plans its first re-entry satellite in the second half of 2026 or later, and ESA's Space Rider is moving to a test flight around 2028.
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