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HyPrSpace and the French Ministry for the Armed Forces announce Baguette One’s launch from Biscarrosse, a first in French space history
The French Ministry for the Armed Forces and HyPrSpace, a French pioneer in hybrid propulsion, announce that the Baguette One suborbital rocket will lift off in 2027 from the DGA Essais de missiles site in Biscarrosse, in the Landes. This launch opens a new chapter in French space history: the first lift-off of a private civil launcher from mainland France.
More than a demonstrator for its future OB-1 orbital launcher, Baguette One also targets civil and military suborbital services: microgravity experiments, hypersonic testing and defence simulations. To meet the needs of these emerging markets, the company has just completed the construction of a new factory near Bordeaux.
Bordeaux (France), September 10, 2026
Biscarrosse, the next step in a partnership built over several years
The launch of Baguette One from Biscarrosse builds on four years of work between HyPrSpace and the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA).
Initiated in 2019, the maturation of HyPrSpace’s propulsion technology accelerated in 2022 with support from the French Defence Innovation Agency (AID) and the DGA. The company has since validated its patented technology at full scale through several test campaigns at DGA Essais de missiles sites in Gironde. Building on these results, HyPrSpace is now preparing the ground test of the Toaster engine, which will power its future launchers.
This momentum, of which Baguette One’s lift-off is a key milestone, rests on three complementary financial and industrial pillars: private capital, public funding, and access to the infrastructure and expertise of the DGA’s Engineering and Expertise Directorate.
“We are delighted and proud to take this next step alongside the DGA. Seeing Baguette One lift off from French soil, after years of development and testing, will be a historic moment for HyPrSpace and its teams.”
From the test stand to the launch pad: bringing a technological vision to life
HyPrSpace’s patented engine architecture is a breakthrough innovation that overcomes a technological barrier that has existed in the space industry for more than 50 years. By eliminating turbopumps, its engines have 30 times fewer parts than conventional technologies: a simplification that improves reliability, facilitates industrialisation and significantly lowers the cost of access to space.
The fuel used, based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE), is a stable, non-pyrotechnic plastic material that reduces the risks and costs associated with storing conventional propellants. HyPrSpace’s solution thus combines the simplicity and robustness of solid propulsion with the thrust modulation and performance of liquid propulsion.
“Today, we are one of the few players in the world to master an adaptable, scalable, patented and proven hybrid propulsion architecture. Our ambition is clear: to make HyPrSpace the world leader in this new generation of propulsion, which is strategic for the space sovereignty and security of France, Europe and their allies.”
Supported by a rapidly growing market
Developed under the France 2030 plan, Baguette One also benefits from the support of the Red River West, BPI-SPI, French Tech Seed, Expansion and NACO funds. Its development is supported by the PADA1 consortium, led by HyPrSpace and comprising Telespazio France and CT Ingénierie.
The primary purpose of this single-stage suborbital launcher is to validate HyPrSpace’s technological choices in real-world conditions, in preparation for the development of the OB-1 orbital launcher (Orbital Baguette One).
Beyond its role as a demonstrator, Baguette One also targets civil and military suborbital services: microgravity experiments, hypersonic testing and defence simulations. Through its range of launchers, HyPrSpace offers a comprehensive orbital and suborbital launch service covering the entire value chain: mission definition, payload integration, launch campaign operations, delivery to orbit or recovery of suborbital payloads. This integrated approach positions the company in a rapidly growing global market, estimated to reach $32 billion by 2035, with particularly strong momentum in suborbital services and responsive launch solutions.
“In the current geopolitical context, having independent and responsive launch capabilities is becoming a strategic issue for Europe. It is about strengthening our autonomous access to space and our ability to respond quickly to both civil and defence needs. HyPrSpace contributes to this autonomy and is establishing a new, robust, competitive and sovereign launch capability from France.”
The company’s next milestone: the inauguration of the new HyPrSpace factory in early October.
About HyPrSpace
A French industrial company, HyPrSpace markets suborbital and orbital launch services through a range of launchers powered by patented hybrid technology. This inherently dual-use breakthrough innovation provides a concrete response to Europe’s space and defence ambitions through robust, competitive and sovereign solutions.
For more information: hypr-space.com
About DGA Essais de missiles
Created by General de Gaulle in 1961, the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) is at the heart of the design and deployment of France’s defence capability model. It provides the French armed forces with weapon systems that meet their operational needs and prepares their future through a shared sense of purpose, constantly adapting to fulfil its missions in the face of geopolitical, technological and human challenges. The DGA has 18 locations across France. Each year, it manages more than one hundred armament programmes covering the full range of equipment built to the highest technological standards for the French armed forces.
Located in Gironde, the Landes and the Mediterranean region, DGA Essais de missiles tests weapon systems in the air, on land, at sea and underwater. Nearly 1,000 specialists prepare and conduct tests of propulsion systems, missiles and munitions while ensuring the safety of people, property and the environment. With facilities that are unique in Europe, the centre also provides training for the armed forces under conditions that closely reflect operational reality, incorporating augmented reality components.
Press contact
Agence Madame de la Com’ — Aurélia Viersou
aurelia@madamedelacom.com — +33 (0)6 30 01 28 14
