European rocket startup MaiaSpace delays first orbital launch
The European rocket startup MaiaSpace, wholly owned by ArianeGroup, has both simplified and delayed the schedule for its first launches.
In January 2026 the company had said it would do a test suborbital launch in 2026, followed by an orbital launch of its two-stage Maia rocket in early 2027. The suborbital launch is now eliminated, but the orbital launch is delayed until the second half of 2027.
The company has, however, now concluded that its ground and combined testing has reduced the value of conducting a suborbital test flight. “In view of all system and combined tests we have in our roadmap, we assessed that the value of a suborbital flight was eventually reduced and finally decided that the best option for our customers was to look directly for an orbital flight,” the spokesperson said. “We consider this is the best path towards the start of our commercial operations.”
It appears at this point that Maiaspace is trailing several other European rocket startups. It is more than a year from a first launch, while Isar, Rocket Factory, and PLD all have rockets on or at the launch site, preparing for launch within months.
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