PARIS - French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation, maker of the popular Rafale series of twin-engine fighter jets, is planning to go orbital.
At the Paris Air Show, Dassault unveiled its “Véhicule Orbital Réutilisable de Transport et d’Exploration,” or Vortex, which translates to Reusable Orbital Transport and Exploration Vehicle. The manufacturer has signed agreements with the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Armed Forces to chart a path to demonstrations of the low-Earth orbit (LEO) spaceplane concept, Jack Daleo writes for Flying. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
26 June 2025 -“Enlarging the European industrial base is key for new opportunities arising in space exploration, aiming at more autonomy,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA director of human and robotic exploration, in remarks accompanying the partnership announcement.
“With Vortex, Dassault is contributing to strengthening European capacities and securing sovereign access to space in a strongly growing and competitive space sector,” said ESA director general Josef Aschbacher.
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Jamie Whitney, Senior Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
