The French government has awarded Latitude funding to assist with the construction of its new rocket factory in Reims.
Founded in 2019, Latitude is developing a two-stage rocket called Zephyr, designed to deliver payloads of up to 200 kilograms to low Earth orbit. At its current facility in Reims, the company expects to produce between five and ten Zephyr rockets per year.
Latitude first announced plans to develop a larger rocket factory in late 2023, when it expanded its original site from 1,500 to 3,000 square metres. The new facility is expected to span approximately 25,000 square metres and will support a production capacity of up to 50 Zephyr rockets per year.
On 14 April, Latitude announced that it had been awarded funding through the France 2030 “First Factory” call to assist with the construction of its new rocket factory. Launched in 2021, the France 2030 initiative is a €54 billion investment programme aimed at strengthening French industry through technological innovation. In 2022, the country launched the “First Factory” call under the France 2030 initiative as a means of supporting start-ups and SMEs in establishing their first industrial production sites on French soil.
“This program consolidates our industrial vision: to develop, from France, a high-frequency launch capability for small satellites – a key lever of space sovereignty,” said Latitude Executive Chairman Stanislas Maximin.
Latitude did not disclose the exact amount of funding it received for the construction of its new factory. However, it is known that while part of the funding will be awarded as a straight grant, a portion will take the form of a recoverable loan.
Latitude is currently working toward an inaugural flight of its Zephyr rocket, which is expected to take place in 2026. On 8 April, the company announced that it had completed an initial hot fire test of a flight version of the combustion chamber for its Navier rocket engine at its Titan testing centre in Vatry, near Reims. On 11 April, Maximin announced on Twitter that the company had successfully completed a second test. The Executive Chairman also revealed that Latitude is in the process of building a replica of its launch installation to allow the company to begin integrated tests of the Zephyr’s first and second stages at its Titan testing facilities.
