Latitude plans to conduct first launch from Oman
French startup Latitude intends to perform the first launch of its small launch vehicle from a spaceport in Oman in late 2027. The post Latitude plans to conduct first launch from Oman appeared first on SpaceNews.
Home / Latitude plans to conduct first launch from Oman
!Latitude signingOfficials with Latitude and Etlaq Spaceport sign a letter of intent regarding use of the spaceport by Latitude's small launch vehicle. Credit: Latitude
WASHINGTON — French startup Latitude intends to perform the first launch of its small launch vehicle from a spaceport in Oman in late 2027.
The company announced July 1 that it signed a letter of intent with Etlaq Spaceport to use that launch site in Oman for an “experimental” first launch of its rocket. The announcement was tied to the visit of Oman’s leader, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said, to France to meet with President Emmanuel Macron.
Latitude said teams from the company and spaceport have been meeting for the last few weeks to study the feasibility of using Etlaq for the company’s rocket, work that will continue with the signing of the letter of intent.
“This preparatory phase will allow both parties to precisely assess the technical and operational conditions required for the success of this first campaign,” the company stated.
The company has been working for several years on a small launch vehicle capable of placing up to 200 kilograms into low Earth orbit. The vehicle was originally named Zephyr, but Latitude now simply refers to it as “our launcher” without a name. The company said last month that it performed two hot-fire tests of the Navier engine that powers the vehicle, starting a full qualification campaign for the engine.
Latitude said that launching from Oman would “complement” plans to also launch from the Guiana Space Center. The company did not disclose how frequently it would launch from Etlaq after that initial flight.
The spaceport, located on the coast in southern Oman, has to date hosted only sounding rocket launches, but is seeking to expand into orbital launches. Latitude is the third European launch company to announce plans to use the spaceport. Spain’s PLD Space said in February 2025 that it would launch from there in addition to French Guiana, while Germany’s HyImpulse said last month that it signed a letter of intent to study use of Etlaq for both its suborbital and orbital vehicles.
Both Latitude and Etlaq emphasized geopolitical as well as technical factors in their agreement.
“Working with partners such as Latitude strengthens our capabilities and reflects the growing confidence of international players in Oman as a future space hub,” said Azzan Kais Al Said, chief executive of Etlaq Spaceport, in a statement.
“Space has become an arena where tomorrow’s strategic balances are being shaped,” said Olivier Zarrouati, chairman of Latitude’s strategic committee, in the statement. “This signing, on the sidelines of the meeting between President Macron and His Majesty the Sultan, is no coincidence: It reflects the shared ambition of France and Oman to build an independent space capability together. Latitude is proud to be its industrial vehicle.”
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Jeff Foust
Jeff Foust writes about space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews.
He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science... More by Jeff Foust
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