The Exploration Company has inaugurated a new facility in Le Haillan, France, less than a month after opening its new headquarters in Germany. The in-space logistics startup is developing Nyx, a modular capsule intended for cargo transport to and from the International Space Station (ISS), with future variants planned for lunar surface deliveries and crewed missions in low Earth orbit.
In a 22 November update, the company said the Le Haillan site, opened on 20 November, serves as “a new permanent home for building Europe’s cargo return capability.” The facility includes 5,000 square metres of production and storage areas and 2,500 square metres of office space. It will house propulsion, thermal protection and systems engineering teams, as well as the company’s mission control centre for future Nyx missions.
The Exploration Company is also constructing a propulsion test facility in Mérignac, near its new French site. The company said the test centre is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025.
The Le Haillan opening is the firm’s second major milestone in recent weeks. On 27 October, it inaugurated its new headquarters in Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich, which features a 3,394 m² integration hall and 1,596 m² of office space.
Speaking to European Spaceflight, CEO Hélène Huby said the company remains focused on the first test flight of its Nyx Earth spacecraft in 2028. The schedule, however, depends on decisions from the ESA Ministerial Council meeting in Bremen, where Member States will determine funding for Phase 2 of the agency’s LEO Cargo Return Services initiative. “Our plan is to receive from ESA the co-financing [for] the development of Nyx after the Ministerial Conference, and this shall be enough to bring Nyx’s demo flight to the ISS,” Huby said.
The Exploration Company and Thales Alenia Space were the two firms awarded €25 million Phase 1 contracts under ESA’s programme. Eligibility for Phase 2 will not be limited to Phase 1 awardees.
