Disconnection Tests
Link to the videoNew ground equipment disconnection test campaign done
Test
20.10.2026
Developing a launch vehicle goes beyond the launcher itself. The ground segment that supports, interfaces with and releases the launcher is an essential part of the launch system, requiring rigorous testing to ensure reliable and safe operations.
The MaiaSpace team has completed a new test campaign in southern France, dedicated to the disconnection systems between the launcher and its ground equipment, using a dedicated test bench (SpaceDreams).
The campaign focused on two key aspects:
Mechanical loads: Characterising the forces and moments transmitted to the launcher interface during disconnection, providing representative data on the loads experienced by the launcher.
Disconnection kinematics: Qualifying the behaviour of the different systems throughout the disconnection sequence, from interface release and relative movements to the clearance of the ground equipment from the launcher.
This campaign is part of MaiaSpace’s progressive qualification approach, with testing advancing towards increasingly representative and integrated configurations.
The next step: further qualifying the ground equipment in an even more representative configuration, ahead of its full deployment at the Guiana Space Centre.
