French launch startup Latitude has announced that it is working on an upgraded variant of its Zephyr launch vehicle.
The current design of Zephyr will stand 19 metres tall and 1.5 metres wide. The rocket’s first stage will be powered by seven of the company’s Navier engines, and the second stage will be powered by a single vacuum-optimized Navier engine. This variant of Zephyr will be introduced in 2025 and will be capable of delivering 100 kilograms to low Earth orbit.
Latitude began pursuing an upgraded variant of Zephyr after gathering “technical, industrial, and commercial feedback gathered in 2023.” This new variant of the rocket will be introduced in 2028 and will be capable of carrying payloads of up to 200 kilograms.
“This third version of Zephyr is a logical evolution for Latitude,” explained Latitude co-founder and CEO Stanislas Maximin. “It lines up in anticipation with our positioning: manufacture the main launcher for small satellite launches.”
The performance boost in the upgraded version of Zephyr will primarily be achieved with upgraded Navier engines, which will produce, according to the company, “four-time stronger thrust compared to the previous version.” Latitude will also be able to produce this new engine at a rate of one per week.
While many companies are pursuing reusability to reduce launch costs, Latitude appears to be focused on savings through mass production. According to the company, it plans to ramp up production of this upgraded variant of Zephyr following its introduction in 2028 with the aim of manufacturing 50 of the rockets per year.
