It is from Guyana that Emmanuel Macron reveals, this Monday, the names of the winners of the micro and mini-launcher competition, organized by the National Center for Space Studies (Cnes).
These are MaiaSpace, a subsidiary of ArianeGroup, the manufacturer of the Ariane 6 rocket, as well as three start-ups: Latitude, HyPrSpace and Sirius.
This quartet will share 400 million euros, mobilized as part of the France 2030 plan, to complete the development of small rockets.
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The first flights, purchased by Cnes, are planned between 2026 and 2027
,”
specifies the Élysée.
Maia, the reusable mini-rocket developed by MaiaSpace, Zéphir, designed by Latitude, Orbital Baguette 1 (OB-1), developed by HyPrSpace, and Sirius 1, on which the eponymous start-up is working, will take off from the Guiana Space Center (CSG ) from Kourou.
This competition should make it possible to prepare for the post-Ariane 6, whose inaugural flight is planned for this summer.
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The competition covers all market segments: small launchers and more powerful rockets.
As such, the Cnes competition serves as a warm-up round for the four winners before selection by the European Space Agency (ESA).
The ESA plans to select
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at least two projects, or even a little more
”,
which will be financed to the tune of 150 million each.
The ESA wants to drive the movement towards more powerful launchers to select the successor(s) to Ariane 6. The ESA member states have declared the end of the ArianeGroup monopoly at the end of 2023. France, the leading European space nation, organizes itself to stay at the forefront.