French small-launch startup Latitude is pushing toward a maiden flight of its Zephyr rocket within the next 18 months, prioritizing speed-to-market and manufacturing efficiency over reusability to capture Europe’s dedicated smallsat launch market.
In an interview with NASA Spaceflight’s “Europe’s Future in Space” series, Latitude founder and executive chairman Stanislas Maximin provided an in-depth look at the company’s development progress and business philosophy from the factory floor in Reims, where rocket sections and combustion chambers serve as a backdrop to an ambitious timeline.