The Spanish Miura 1 rocket took off from southern Spain. The French rocket Baguette One will do the same next year from the south of France.
It’s not a joke. It is the real name of the next bet of the European New Space. And it is very serious: the French company HyPrSpace has just closed an agreement to launch an experiment on board, confirming that the launch will take place from mainland France: something unprecedented in the civil sector.
Traditionally, France launches its missions from the Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana. However, the Baguette One will take off from Europe. The suborbital rocket, about 10 meters high (slightly lower than the Miura 1), will take off from the Biscarrosse missile testing center in the Landes department, thanks to an agreement with the French Directorate General of Armaments.
First Launch with a Purpose
You already have a client. The little rocket will not go empty. HyPrSpace has signed a memorandum of understanding with ATMOS Space Cargo to launch a demonstration mission. The German space logistics company will take advantage of the suborbital flight to test its Phoenix-2 reentry capsule.
The French startup HyPrSpace, based in Bordeaux, is developing the Baguette One as a preliminary step to validate the technologies of its future commercial rocket, Orbital Baguette One. The project recently secured a financing round of 21 million euros from private funds, in addition to the 35 million already procured from the France 2030 public plan.
Looking Ahead: Orbital Baguette One
Orbital Baguette One. The OB-1 will follow the Baguette One, with a first launch scheduled for the end of 2027. This microlauncher aims to put between 200 and 250 kg into orbit, emphasizing low prices as its main attraction.
Rather than employing standard liquid or solid fuel engines, HyPrSpace—short for Hybrid Propulsion for Space—will use a novel mixture: solid fuel derived from recycled plastic and liquid oxygen as an oxidizer.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Baguette One
The architecture of the rocket offers a significant advantage by eliminating turbopumps, which are among the most expensive and complex components in aerospace engineering. This design choice can reduce the cost of the launcher by 40%. However, the downside is that these engines are less versatile and not reusable. In contrast, PLD Space has plans for reusability in their forthcoming versions of the Miura 5.
As space exploration advances, such innovations could radically reshape the landscape of commercial spaceflight. The Baguette One project represents a bold step in France’s burgeoning space industry, demonstrating that creativity and practicality can go hand in hand.
Image | HyPrSpace
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