Europe is preparing for a historic moment as Themis (T1H) performs its first “hop test” — a take-off and landing trial — at the Esrange Space Centre in Sweden, under the EU-funded SALTO project. Themis (T1H) is a reusable first-stage demonstrator developed by ArianeGroup as the prime contractor under ESA’s Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP) and powered by the Prometheus® reusable cryogenic engine.
WIT Berry, a Latvian company specialising in science and innovation communication, is a partner in the SALTO project, ensuring that the consortium’s technological achievements are understandable, visible, and reach a wide range of audiences — scientists, engineers, students, future professionals, and space enthusiasts alike.
Several important milestones were achieved in the summer of 2025
In June, at ArianeGroup’s site in Les Mureaux, France, the assembly and final preparation of the Themis (T1H) demonstrator were completed. The stage was then transported to the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) Esrange Space Centre in Kiruna, Sweden.
Within a few weeks of arrival, the ArianeGroup and SSC teams completed integration procedures and performed a series of post-transportation fluid tests inside a newly constructed facility built specifically for Themis operations.
This final integration phase also included the implementation of innovative technologies developed within the SALTO project, which will be validated during the upcoming test campaign.
In September, the T1H was moved from the Launch Vehicle Integration Building (LVIB) to a dedicated stand for the integration of its landing legs. Once the legs were installed, two cranes lifted the stage vertically onto the test platform — a key step toward the upcoming flight test campaign.
The SALTO hop test in 3D — accessible to everyone
To make this complex process easy to understand for non-specialists, WIT Berry, in collaboration with 3D experts from Latvia, has developed an interactive 3D demonstration of the SALTO hop test.
This engaging tool is designed for a broad audience — professionals, the general public, space enthusiasts, and students — and offers a visual overview of the main preparation phases: Themis’s arrival at LVIB, integration, verticalisation, lift-off, and vertical landing.
Explore the 3D experience on the SALTO website.
WIT Berry’s role: telling the SALTO story
As the communication and dissemination partner, WIT Berry plays a key role in telling the story of Europe’s journey toward reusable rockets. Beyond sharing milestones, the team focuses on communicating the often unseen — yet essential — aspects of the project, such as safety procedures, integration work, and technology development.
Linda Kimeisa, SALTO Project Communication Manager (WIT Berry, Latvia): “The goal of SALTO is not only to advance technology but also to share knowledge and experiences gained throughout the project with professionals, researchers, and the wider public. Working side by side with Europe’s leading aerospace companies and resecentresnters gives us direct insight into reusable launch technologies — and we use that understanding to do what we do best: turn complex ideas into clear, engaging stories for different audiences. The 3D hop test experience is just one of the ways we’re opening the project to everyone.”
About WIT Berry
WIT Berry is a creative communications agency that collaborates with universities, research centres, innovation ecosystems and EU-funded projects. The company specialises in transforming complex ideas into clear, engaging, and meaningful stories.
With extensive experience in international collaborations, WIT Berry is a consortium partner in SALTO, one of its largest and most strategically important projects — combining expertise in stakeholder engagement, visual storytelling, and impact-driven dissemination to support Europe’s mission of building reusable and sustainable access to space.
