Reims-based startup Latitude is expanding and will launch its Zephyr mini-rocket in 2025.

Startup Latitude opened a branch in Reims three years ago. To democratize the launch of nanosatellites, it decided to develop a micro-launcher made in France at its Marne plant. This mini-rocket, called Zephyr, measures 17 meters and consists of two stages. It will be able to send small satellites into orbit at low cost. Since then, Latitude has continued to grow. And this is a new step that she will take. In a few weeks, its area will double, increasing from 1,500 to 3,000 m² of premises. Following the successful launch of the Zephyr engine during a test campaign in Scotland, a new phase begins: the production phase.

The company currently has 150 employees and recently hired a Chief Operating Officer in charge of Zephyr’s industrialization. “This expansion allows for the production of 5 to 10 launchers per year,” emphasizes Stanislas Maximin, CEO and co-founder of Latitude. We are moving from prototyping to the production part. It is here, at our plant, that we will assemble our first rockets. Some engine parts will be produced and tested directly in Reims. »

By the end of 2024, the first rocket will leave the factory in Reims. The first flight is expected in 2025, at which point it will be a true industrialization phase with the goal of producing 50 rockets per year. “At this point we will move to a new, much larger production site. Machining, electronics, engines, 3D printing: everything will be done at this future facility. »

Latitude eventually plans to open a second, entirely new factory to mass produce its Zephyr launchers, still near Reims. Because if a startup must target Kourou for future launches, it is on the Marne that research and design take place. Last spring, Latitude even signed an agreement to locate its aerospace expertise center at Vatry Airport. The next step, at the end of the year, is testing the new engine, which this time will be carried out not in Scotland, but in Watry.