New Space: 8 French startups aiming for the stars

© HyPrSpace

In recent years, the space industry has experienced a real renaissance, driven by the emergence of an ecosystem of innovative startups. Freed from the budgetary constraints that often hamper government agencies, the private sector is pushing the boundaries of space exploration. Although the epicenter of this revolution is across the Atlantic, young French companies are making no secret of their ambitions to conquer the stars.

The Exploration Company

And it is impossible to talk about them without mentioning The Exploration Company. Founded in 2021, it aims to democratize access to space through an affordable solution. Modular, reusable and capable of being refueled directly in orbit, its Nyx capsule is designed to transport goods and, why not eventually, astronauts. It is Europe's first private space capsule.

The startup, whose offices are located in Bordeaux and Munich, has already sold six missions, and has established a partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) to strengthen the Old Continent's capacities in terms of space exploration and commercial activities. Also, The Exploration Company is hopeful of being selected as a cargo ship for NASA's Artemis program, which involves returning humans to the Moon with the goal of settling there this time.

Spartan Space

Another startup that could potentially participate in the Artemis program. Also founded in 2021, Spartan Space specializes in extreme habitats, whether maritime, polar or space. In particular, it has designed a system called Eurohab, designed to become a refuge for astronauts on missions to the lunar surface. This is an explicit request from NASA, but the young company is not yet guaranteed to be on the trip to our satellite.

Spartan Space has also been selected by the National Center for Space Studies (CNES) to develop the suits for future European missions. The startup will collaborate with Decathlon and the Institute of Space Medicine (MEDES) to carry out this project.

Interstellar Lab

Based in Paris and Los Angeles, Interstellar Lab develops modular food production systems. Specifically, the company aspires to grow fruits and vegetables in space, a mission that is almost mandatory to satisfy humanity's exploration ambitions, which involve very long manned flights.

Thus, it designs and manufactures bio-agriculture systems that optimize environmental conditions in order to improve plant yield and metabolite composition. To do this, it adopts a unique approach focused on data and AI. This method also minimizes the environmental impact of soilless cultivation, also offering varied applications on Earth.

HyPrSpace

Founded in 2019, HyPrSpace develops hybrid rocket engines, i.e. those that combine solid fuels (polyethylene) and liquefied oxidizers (oxygen). These systems are less expensive while reducing the risk of explosions, yet they are very rarely adopted by rocket operators.

« The hybrid rocket engine has been around since the dawn of the aerospace industry. The problem is that it is not scalable. That's where we came in: we found a way to make it scalable. In fact, we started designing a hybrid rocket engine from scratch and ended up completely changing the engine architecture ,” the startup writes on its website.

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It has successfully completed the first hot test campaign of its full-scale demonstrator: Terminator. HyPrSpace plans to test its first microlauncher, OB-1, in 2026.

Latitude

Another launcher specialist, Latitude (formerly Venture Orbital) aims to serve the low-orbit satellite market, a highly sought-after sector that is expected to experience strong growth in the coming years. With this in mind, it is developing a rocket called Zephyr. Standing 17 meters tall, it is powered by Navier, an engine entirely printed in 3D.

In early 2024, Latitude raised $30 million. This sum will allow it to best prepare for the first flight of Zephyr, scheduled for 2025. The company hopes that its launcher will enter service in 2028 with a payload capacity of 200 kilograms. Its goal is to produce up to 50 vehicles per year.

Exotrail

Founded in 2015 within Polytechnique and SATT Paris-Saclay, Exotrail develops mobility solutions for small satellites, with a focus on electric propulsion systems and flight software. Describing itself as an “end-to-end space mobility operator”, it aims to optimize satellite deployment, increase service performance and reduce pollution in space.

It is also working on a space transportation system designed to provide last-mile services to multiple nanosatellites. In May, Exotrail joined the French Tech Next40/120 index, a program that recognizes the 120 best-performing French companies. It has also established a contract with European space giant Thales Alenia Space, as well as with Prométhée Earth Intelligence, a young French operator of nanosatellites for Earth observation.

ThrustMe

ThrustMe also specializes in designing propulsion systems for satellites. Founded in 2017, it is the result of research conducted at the École Polytechnique and the CNRS. Its founders, Ane Aanesland and Dmytro Rafalskyi, are experts in plasma physics and electric propulsion. Before founding the company, they had published 75 scientific articles.

The company has already achieved critical and industry-acclaimed milestones, such as creating a system small enough to be integrated into CubeSats while still providing advanced orbital maneuvering capabilities. It has established several international partnerships, and intends to play a key role in responsible access to space.

« Using iodine as a propellant allows customers to deliver fully pre-filled propulsion systems and significantly simplify and streamline the satellite integration process. Therefore, iodine offers the possibility of ensuring the economic and environmental sustainability of the space industry ,” she writes on her website.

Infinite Orbits

This startup also aims to promote the sustainability of the space sector. Founded in 2017, Infinite Orbits designs and operates spacecraft called Servicer to provide innovative solutions to satellite operators, particularly those in geostationary orbit.

At the heart of its technology is its proprietary Rendez Vous solution, an advanced vision-based autonomous navigation software that enables spacecraft to perform complex operations in space, such as approaching and docking with other satellites.

It successfully launched Orbit Guard, the first commercial nanosatellite into geostationary orbit. Its main project, Endurance, will be tasked with extending the life of geostationary assets.

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