CNES and Airbus-Safran Launchers are working on a next generation of the main stage rocket engines, promising reduction of costs by 1/10th and a reusability for over 5 times.

During the ESA’s Ministerial Conference in December 2014 design of Ariane 6 was selected. Based on a cryogenic main stage with 2 or 4 solid rocket boosters proposal also included a simplified, cheaper version of the cryogenic engine used in the main stage of Ariane 5 – Vulcain 2. New variant, dubbed Vulcain 2.1, while maintaining 1340 kN thrust of its predecessor, will include numerous new technologies in order to reduce production costs, notably a new nozzle extension that will utilize laser-welded sandwich walls and a 3D printed structural reinforcements. Future updates for Vulcain include version 2.2, development of which is currently in an early stages, and almost fully 3D-printed Vulcain 2.3 that’s planned once work on Vulcain 2.2 is completed. All these variants will most likely be used in future upgrades to the Ariane 6.