Developed in under three years on behalf of DGA, SyLEx introduces a sovereign suborbital launch capability in France for the first time. During its maiden flight, the rocket carried an ArianeGroup experimental payload designed as a platform for technological integration and demonstration.
SyLEx is intended to support a wide range of missions, including atmospheric re-entry and microgravity experiments, and targets both civilian and military applications on the European market. The system comprises two sounding rocket models, single-stage and two-stage, with payloads of up to 600 kilograms and the capability to reach altitudes between 200 and 400 kilometres, while accommodating multiple experiments on a single flight depending on mission configuration.
“This successful first flight secures sovereign testing capabilities for France using sounding rockets,” said Vincent Pery, Director of Defence Programmes at ArianeGroup. “SyLEx has been designed and built by ArianeGroup teams in under three years, based on test-and-learn methods, and we are already advancing to the next phase of our incremental roadmap: the two-stage version.”
