Space Rider is a reusable lifting-body orbital and re-entry experiment, which aims to provide Europe with an affordable, independent, reusable end-to-end integrated space transportation system for routine access and return from low orbit. It will be used to transport payloads for an array of applications, orbit altitudes, and inclinations.

Space Rider is a lifting reentry body, with its shape resulting from the set of design IXV experiments. The Vega-C's AVUM+ serves as the propulsion module for Space Rider and stays attached during the mission. It carries deployable solar arrays. The payload mass will be larger than 450 kg. The in-orbit operational phase mission duration will be longer than 2 months.

The spacecraft will be launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, stay in orbit as required by its payloads, and then perform a ground landing. Afterward, it will be refurbished and equipped with new payloads for the next flight.