France has officially entered the space race with a rocket named Orbital Baguette One.
The country known for wine, cheese and existential cinema is now hoping to take over the cosmos with a crusty carb-themed spacecraft.
The name is not just a nod to one of France’s most iconic exports, but also a wink to Star Wars, with the OB-1 abbreviation paying a playful tribute to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
While rockets steeped in fantasy, such as Pegasus, Antares, and Atlas V, have dominated the space race, the French have decided to take a more boulangerie chic approach when choosing a name.
Backed by President Emmanuel Macron and developed by a start-up called HyPrSpace, founded in 2019, Baguette One is a small, reusable suborbital launcher that promises cheap and eco-friendly satellite transport.
A test flight is scheduled from a French military base, with a bigger version, Orbital Baguette One, to follow.
Co-founder Sylvain Bataillard said the company wanted to be ‘serious but not sinister’ when picking the name.
The rocket uses what HyPrSpace calls ‘revolutionary hybrid propulsion,’ powered by a mix of liquid and solid propellants, some made from recycled plastic.
An artist impression of the rocket, which is said to use ‘revolutionary hybrid propulsion,’ powered by a mix of liquid and solid propellants, some made from recycled plastic
The name is not just a nod to one of France’s most iconic exports but also a wink to Star Wars, with the OB-1 abbreviation paying playful tribute to Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi
There are no turbo-pumps, and the chamber is pressurised with helium, which the company says helps keep costs low.
Despite the playful branding, the project has serious backing. France’s government has already handed over €35 million, with another €400 million up for grabs if initial launches succeed.
The defence ministry is giving up military bases in southwest France and Provence for testing, making this the first rocket launch from mainland France.
According to The Times, TV presenters on TF1 had a hard time trying to keep a straight face when reporting on the project this week, especially after showing an AI image of a baguette on a launchpad.
But with global demand for satellite launches booming, no one is laughing at the potential.
The Novaspace consultancy predicts more than 26,000 satellites will be launched by 2032.
HyPrSpace wants to corner a slice of that market with its microlauncher, which it describes as a satellite ‘taxi’ offering flexible lift-off dates at half the usual cost.
Most small rockets charge €40,000 per kilogram. Baguette One aims to do it for around €20,000.
France President Emanuel Macron has given the launcher his full backing
While SpaceX continues to dominate and Europe lags behind, France is hoping its crusty challenger will rise to the occasion.
OB-1 may sound like a bakery joke, but Macron’s government is betting it could be the future of French space travel.
