A French startup is redefining space infrastructure by turning satellites into shared platforms—enabling faster, more cost-efficient, and more sustainable missions.
- 2x faster access to orbit
- Costs divided by 3
- Up to 40% lower environmental impact
SpaceLocker is entering a new phase. Just one year after its first in-orbit mission, the French pioneer in orbital hosting announces the launch of Out of the Box, its first fully owned and operated satellite. This milestone marks its transition into the ranks of satellite operators – a domain historically dominated by legacy players such as Airbus, Thales, and Eutelsat. At the core of this breakthrough is a patented “universal space port” technology, comparable to a USB port for satellites. Plug-and-play and payload-agnostic, it transforms satellites into shared infrastructures capable of hosting multiple payloads simultaneously. With Out of the Box, SpaceLocker is deploying a 16U CubeSat (~20 kg) carrying five European customers – making access to space possible without building a dedicated satellite.
Théophile Lagraulet, CEO and co-founder of SpaceLocker, comments: “We want to do for space what cloud computing did for IT: shift from ownership to shared infrastructure. In the future, sending an instrument to orbit won’t require building a satellite. Access to space can become a standardized service.”
From Dedicated Satellites to a “Space Cloud”
Until now, sending technology to orbit required designing or procuring an entire satellite – a long, costly, and inflexible process that has remained largely unchanged for decades. SpaceLocker introduces a platform-based approach.
Customers develop their payloads independently and integrate them into a standardized “container” using the company’s universal space port. SpaceLocker then manages the full orbital stack, from integration to operations. This model dramatically reduces costs – up to three times cheaper than traditional missions – while cutting time-to-orbit in half. It also significantly lowers environmental impact through resource sharing.
A Flagship Mission for the European New Space Ecosystem
The Out of the Box mission carries five payloads from across the European ecosystem, showcasing the diversity of next-generation space applications. Among the customers onboard, the Out of the Box mission brings together four European players, illustrating the diversity of next-generation space applications. EDGX will demonstrate edge computing capabilities, enabling satellites to process data onboard and reduce reliance on ground infrastructure. Fédération Open Space Makers will fly FOSM-1, a payload dedicated to amateur radio and open communication experiments, supported by CNES. Solar MEMS will operate a high-precision star tracker for satellite orientation, while Arcsec will test two advanced star trackers to demonstrate high-performance attitude determination for small satellites.
To build its missions, SpaceLocker leverages the rich ecosystem of French and European players, working with partners such as Thales Alenia Space for testing and Skynopy for communications.
Today, nearly one in five space missions is dedicated to technology demonstration, yet these opportunities remain complex and expensive to execute. By simplifying access to orbit, SpaceLocker positions itself as a key enabler of space innovation.
Fewer Satellites, Lower Impact, Greater Efficiency
As Earth’s orbit becomes increasingly congested, the shared satellite model offers a direct response to both economic and environmental challenges.
Rather than multiplying dedicated satellites, SpaceLocker maximizes existing capacity by hosting multiple missions on a single platform. This approach not only reduces costs but also helps limit space debris and decrease total mass launched into orbit.
It also contributes to Europe’s strategic autonomy, with the emergence of a new French operator in a critical segment of the space value chain.
Rapid Execution
Founded in 2022, SpaceLocker represents the new generation of French New Space companies. In under two years, the startup has completed its first orbital mission, secured around fifteen commercial contracts, signed multiple institutional agreements in France and internationally and generated over €4 million in total contracts.
With Out of the Box, SpaceLocker reaches a key inflection point—becoming a satellite operator and building its own mission portfolio, demonstrating rapid execution in a sector known for long development cycles. The company already plans six additional missions over the next 24 months.
Towards a New Gateway to Space
SpaceLocker’s ambition is clear: to become the leading platform for accessing orbit. In the long term, the company aims to operate across multiple orbital regimes, scale its mission cadence, and open space to a new generation of users—far beyond the traditional space industry.
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About SpaceLocker
SpaceLocker provides in-orbit hosting services across a wide range of space vehicles, enabling faster, more affordable, and more sustainable space missions. With a growing track record of missions and partnerships, the company, founded in 2022, aims to become a global reference for access to orbit.
Press Contacts
Ilinca Spita – +33 6 64 75 12 98 – ilinca@edifice-communication.com (EN)
Stéphane Laurain – +33 6 98 58 38 35 – stephane@edifice-communication.com
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