By Sarah Cope | 2025-09-03

As an early leader in space exploration, France has maintained its clout as a major player in the celestial realm by balancing national programs, European integration and global competition in public and private space sector pursuits.

France's spacefaring ambitions and accomplishments have deep roots.

In 1961, France established a civilian space agency, Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), to coordinate research and policy.

It successfully launched the first French-made satellite, Astérix (A-1), in 1965, becoming the third country, after the United States and Soviet Union, to independently launch a satellite into orbit.

The history-making launch of Astérix via the French-made Diamant rocket -- from the French CIEES launch site at Hammaguir, in the Saharan Desert of Algeria -- laid the foundation for decades of space ambitions.

France was a driving force behind the creation of the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1975, as French policymakers saw the importance of the space domain and pushed for collective European capabilities.

The French government also played a key role in the creation of the world’s first commercial launch service, Arianespace, in 1980, providing reliable access to orbit for European spacecraft and a share of the commercial launch market.

Exploration, collaboration and defense

France has been a consistent investor in space for defense purposes, creating a dedicated Space Command (CDE) within its Air and Space Force.

CDE coordinates space operations alongside CNES and other government agencies.

French scientists have been key contributors to global space exploration, providing the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with seismic probes for its InSight mission to Mars, which launched in 2018.

Coordinated through CNES, French scientists also were central to the success of the 2004 ESA Rosetta mission to study Jupiter-family comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P or 67P/C–G).

The Rosetta mission became the first to rendezvous (establish close, sustained proximity) with a comet, orbit it and deploy a lander, Philae, to successfully touch down on its surface in 2014.

France's private industry also serves as a cornerstone of Europe’s space sector.

Airbus Defence and Space, a division of Airbus SE, and Thales Alenia Space build a broad array of spacecraft and space-related technology, including satellites, spacecraft modules, and launch systems.

These serve public and private customers across Europe and the world.

In late July, Thales Alenia Space signed an agreement with the Italian Space Agency to develop the first human outpost on the moon.

Leading role in space innovation

France has achieved significant space-related goals in the past two years, and its ambitions show no sign of slowing down.

July 2024 marked the maiden flight of Ariane 6, an expendable launch system developed in partnership with the ESA, ArianeGroup and CNES.

December 2024 saw the return to orbit of Vega-C, a single-body rocket capable of launching thousands of kilograms of spacecraft into Sun-synchronous, low-earth, or polar orbits.

On the defense front, CNES provided key support to France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces through its CSO, CERES and SYRACUSE 4 satellite programs.

Since launching in July, four Constellation Optical 3D (CO3D) satellites have been conducting 3D mapping of the Earth’s surface.

CNES continues to foster innovation through programs supporting small private companies, inviting international collaboration, and forging sustainable partnerships.

With Ariane 6 and Vega-C, ongoing development of advanced satellite constellations, sustained cooperation across civilian and military sectors and between public and private organizations, France continues to charge ahead.