MaiaSpace has found its first commercial customer. The company signed an agreement to fly multiple missions for Exotrail’s SpaceVan orbital transfer vehicle beginning in 2027.
MaiaSpace, a subsidiary of ArianeGroup founded in 2022, plans to debut its first reusable Maia rocket next year. The partnership with Exotrail provides an early vote of confidence that the new launcher can increase Europe’s sovereign launch capabilities.
“This agreement provides added flexibility for Exotrail’s access to reliable launch opportunities tailored to its customers’ needs and reinforces MaiaSpace’s ambition to become a leading player in European space transportation,” Yohann Leroy, CEO of MaiaSpace, said in a statement.
Last mile: Exotrail flew its first SpaceVan mission on SpaceX’s Transporter-9 flight in November 2023, and deployed the Endurosat-built “EXO-0” cubesat in LEO after three months on orbit.
Following this first successful demonstration, Exotrail set its sights even higher, buying up space on launchers to provide a wider range of space mobility services to its customers.
In November, the company signed a deal with Arianespace to launch Exotrail’s first SpaceVan mission to geostationary transfer orbit in the latter half of 2026. After leaving Ariane 64, SpaceVan will tow a customer satellite to GEO, demonstrating its ability to deliver satellites to the full gamut of orbital trajectories.
What’s next: Exotrail has also secured two other missions to LEO, planned to launch before 2027.
“The SpaceVan manifest is building up, and we are thrilled to team up with a trusted partner such as MaiaSpace for our access to space…This contract opens new perspectives for customers who seek reliable and secured delivery in space for their payload,” Jean-Luc Maria, CEO of Exotrail, said in a statement.
