The European Space Agency (ESA) and Dassault Aviation have officially signalled their intent to forge a closer partnership in space technology development, with a strong focus on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and orbital vehicles. The signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) marks a key milestone in collaborative European aerospace innovation, aligning ESA’s space exploration roadmap with Dassault’s advanced aerospace engineering capabilities.
ESA, guided by its ambitious Explore2040 strategy, aims to establish the technological foundations required for sustained missions to LEO, the Moon, and eventually Mars. This includes advancing critical enabling technologies such as hypervelocity re-entry systems—technologies essential for the safe return of orbital vehicles from space.
Dassault Aviation, a globally recognised leader in both civil and military aviation, has been steadily expanding its space sector footprint. Central to its space ambitions is the development of VORTEX (Véhicule Orbital Réutilisable de Transport et d’Exploration)—a reusable spaceplane concept based on lifting body design principles. VORTEX is engineered to support a range of orbital tasks, including scientific research, cargo transport to and from space stations, and in-orbit servicing.
Backed by decades of experience in spaceplane design—spanning key contributions to Hermes, NASA’s X-38 Crew Rescue Vehicle, ESA’s IXV demonstrator, and VEHRA hypersonic concepts—Dassault is well-positioned to pioneer the next generation of reusable European spacecraft.
“Dassault Aviation’s decades of expertise in aeronautical and space systems perfectly position them to pioneer critical space technologies,” stated Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General. “With VORTEX, Dassault is contributing to strengthening European capacities and securing sovereign access to space in a competitive global market.”
Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, echoed this vision:
“Our VORTEX roadmap aims to strengthen Europe’s essential sovereign capabilities and meet the new challenges of the space economy. This Letter of Intent is a recognition of the complementary expertise of ESA and Dassault Aviation.”
As part of the collaboration, ESA and Dassault plan to work on a scaled-down, suborbital version of VORTEX to act as a technology testbed. This will involve:
- Designing, testing and qualifying key systems and components
- Exploring new materials and integration processes
- Evaluating the integration of future payloads via a dedicated payload bay
The partnership is designed to de-risk critical technologies, share technical knowledge, and conduct feasibility studies to map out each party’s role in potential joint ventures.
Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, concluded:
“Europe benefits from a wide range of diverse and complementary skills. Enlarging the European industrial base is key for new opportunities arising in Space Exploration, aiming at more autonomy.”
With the LoI signed, ESA and Dassault Aviation set the stage for a future in which Europe leads the way in reusable orbital systems and LEO exploration.
