Aspire Space and LEAP 71 partner to build large reusable launch systems in UAE
June 26, 2025
Aspire Space, headquartered in Luxembourg, and LEAP 71, a developer of AI-based engineering technology headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, have announced a strategic partnership to develop a new large reusable launch vehicle capable of delivering up to 15 metric tons to low Earth orbit (LEO).
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As part of the agreement, LEAP71 will create the complete propulsion stack for Aspire’s rockets using Noyron, its proprietary Large Computational Engineering Model. The first-stage engines will be based on the company’s XRB-2E6 reference design, a high-performance, reusable liquid methane/liquid oxygen (Methalox) engine producing 2,000 kilonewtons of thrust, reportedly placing it in the same performance class as top-tier US launch systems.
Aspire Space is relocating its primary operations to the United Arab Emirates to support the country’s growing ambitions to become a leader in the emerging space economy.
Stan Rudenko, CEO of Aspire, commented, “Sovereign access to space and rapid reusability are foundational to participating in one of the world’s most dynamic and aspirational sectors. LEAP 71 gives us direct access to propulsion systems right here in the UAE — a strategic advantage that made relocating our entire team an easy decision. We are excited to help the Emirates take a bold next step as a spacefaring nation.”
Josefine Lissner, CEO of LEAP 71, said, “Engineering lies at the core of human civilisation, and we founded LEAP 71 to accelerate engineering itself — to push real-world progress forward using computational systems. But it needs the hard-won knowledge of industry veterans to be meaningful. We are opening up that treasure trove of experience by working with Aspire’s team.”
LEAP71’s Noyron Large Computational Engineering Model distils advanced engineering logic, physics models, manufacturing constraints, and practical feedback into a coherent system that generates manufacturable space hardware without human intervention. It has reportedly been called the first ‘AI that builds machines’. Rather than generative, probabilistic AI systems, it relies on a deterministic scientific foundation rooted in first principles.
Lin Kayser, Co-Founder of LEAP 71, added, “Innovation requires iteration — but human-driven design of complex machines takes enormous amounts of manual work. By systematically translating the body of knowledge of a field of engineering to Noyron, we radically reduce iteration time from months to days. The next generation of space systems won’t be drawn by humans — they’ll be computed.”
Over the past year, LEAP 71 has, on average, completed and hot-fired a new rocket engine design every 30 days, including a working aerospike, reportedly one of the most complex types of rocket propulsion systems ever tested.
Sergey Sopov, CTO of Aspire, noted, “For decades, my team and I built rockets the old way — reliable, but slow. Now begins a new era. What LEAP 71 offers is the ability to finally turn our expertise into code, paving the way for rapid development with constant iterations. That’s how we will advance humanity in the New Space Age.”
In addition to the orbital launcher, Aspire Space is developing a reusable spacecraft capable of transporting up to 2 metric tons of payload to and from orbital stations.
Hot-fire testing of the propulsion system is scheduled to commence in Q3 2026, starting with the 200 kN second-stage engine.
The inaugural flight of the Aspire Space launch system is planned for 2030.
