• The Toulouse-based start-up has been selected by CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales) to carry out the preliminary design of the next European full-flow staged-combustion engine—the most powerful in Europe.
• Pangea Aerospace is one of four companies selected by CNES as part of the ASTRE project (Advanced Staged-combustion Technologies for Reusable Engines). The company will be responsible for the design of the target engine.
• The decision to entrust this preliminary design activity to Pangea Aerospace confirms the company’s role as a key player in Europe’s efforts to develop a next-generation high-thrust engine capable of competing on a global scale—particularly with the United States—in the space transportation sector.

Toulouse, June 18, 2025 – Pangea Aerospace, a start-up specialized in the development of propulsion systems for the aerospace sector, based in Toulouse, has been selected by CNES to carry out a preliminary design of Europe’s most powerful rocket engine and define the associated programmatic aspects (key technology development plan, related costs, etc.).

Pangea Aerospace France will carry out the preliminary design of a high-thrust engine based on a Full-Flow Staged-Combustion (FFSC) cycle. This closed-cycle technology, not yet developed in Europe, represents a true technological leap, with the goal of developing by 2030 the most powerful and efficient engine ever conceived on the continent.

Pangea Aerospace is one of the four companies selected within the ASTRE program. This recognition reinforces the trust of the French institutional ecosystem in Pangea Aerospace, which was also selected to foster synergies with the Very High Thrust project of the European Space Agency (ESA), also led by the Franco-Spanish company.

Leading the development of Europe’s future engine

This decision positions Pangea as a central player in the development of the next-generation European rocket engine, at the forefront of a new era in large-scale space propulsion. This positioning is based not only on the company’s technical expertise but also on a business model entirely dedicated to the development and commercialization of propulsion systems for the aerospace sector. This specialization allows Pangea Aerospace to design more efficient, competitive, and sustainable engines, improving the profitability of launch vehicle companies.

The ASTRE project is divided into nine work packages, covering the maturation of key technologies through to test benches. Pangea Aerospace was selected to deliver the complete Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of the engine.

Pangea Aerospace’s activities will focus on several key areas, including engine design definition, development planning, and the identification of programmatic costs through to entry into service around 2030. The company will also collaborate with other stakeholders to advance the maturity of the FFSC-based system, identify technical barriers, and propose practical solutions to overcome them. Activities will include the complete preliminary engine design, integrating control systems, throttling from 30% to 100%, instrumentation choices, materials, and manufacturing methods.

Spanning three years, the project’s first major milestone will be the System Requirements Review (SRR), which will include the conceptual design, functional specifications, system CONOPs, and development plan.