France backs Dassault VORTEX reusable spaceplane program

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced French government support for Dassault Aviation’s VORTEX reusable spaceplane program. The announcement was made during the International Space Summit in Paris.

Dassault describes VORTEX as a family of reusable spaceplanes designed for orbital operations and conventional runway landings. The program aims to serve both civil and military sectors, with planned applications including cargo transport to low Earth orbit, autonomous orbital missions, in-orbit servicing, and defense missions. Crew transportation is considered a potential later stage of development.

Dassault serves as the global architect and integrator for the project, working alongside industrial partner OHB and other companies including APCO Technologies, MT Aerospace, Sener, Sonaca, and Space Cargo Unlimited. While the specific amount and duration of the new support have not been disclosed, it extends previous backing that included €30 million for the VORTEX-D technology demonstrator in 2025.