VOS launches the first production site for space micro-launchers made in France

October 19, 2021

Venture Orbital Systems (VOS), a start-up specializing in the development of space micro-launchers and rocket engines, inaugurated the first production site for Rocket Launchers Made in France in Reims. He will notably develop "Zephyr", the first rocket designed on French soil for half a century (1975). The first commercial launches are planned for 2024.

Nanosatellites, a growing market

For several years, the space sector has been experiencing a real revolution. It has seen the development of a new sector at the global level: that of nanosatellites for commercial use. This growth of the civil and commercial space industry has accelerated very strongly, favored by the emergence of low-cost players and issues related to the exploitation of satellite data for all industries.

Today, the democratization of nanosatellites and microsatellites, as well as the strong growth in needs on a global scale with the development of applications for various commercial uses, open up new perspectives. Moreover, according to Statista*, the commercial sector is expected to be the largest and fastest growing segment in the small satellite market. But, faced with the large production of nanosatellites to come, the number of launchers seems insufficient to meet the demand. This lack of available launchers results in a maximum wait of 24 months for a launch**.

A French player specialized in the manufacture of small orbital launchers

With this in mind and to meet the increased need for launchers, Stanislas Maximin, Kevin Monvoisin and Ilan Saidi-Bekerman created Venture Orbital Systems in 2019. The start-up, which has 27 employees, specializes in the manufacture of small orbital launchers for nanosatellites. The company offers reactive, tailor-made, dedicated and cost-effective launches for nanosatellites.

The average time between the first customer contact (manufacturer or nanosatellite operator) and the launch of the satellite into orbit is less than 6 months. This period includes different stages such as the test of the satellite, the transport to the launch pad, the allocation of its communication frequency, the insurance or the integration on the launcher. A performance made possible by the production by VOS of its own launchers including Zephyr, its flagship project.

To carry out this project with a high technological content, VOS benefits from the help and technical support of reference players in the French space ecosystem, including CNES, CNRS, Comat, Safran, ONERA and ArianeGroup. This recognition underlines its strong potential and reinforces in France its position as a unique player in the design and manufacture of nano-launchers or nano-rockets.

"We are very proud to inaugurate in France the first production site for small launchers totally designed for nanosatellites. This is unprecedented since 1975 and marks a new stage for Zephyr, our flagship project, whose first commercial launch is planned within 3 years. The market is there and its potential immense due to the strong growth in the need for nanosatellites and microsatellites on a global scale. At a time when the State wishes to strengthen and structure the French nanosatellite sector with the ultimate ambition of positioning the French nanosatellite ecosystem as one of the leading sectors of this industry at the global level, we are ready and responding," says Stanislas Maximin, co-founder of Venture Orbital Systems.