Exotrail
Exotrail is a space service company that develops electric propulsion systems and orbital transfer vehicles for small satellites to enable agile space mobility.
- Founded
- 2017
- Headquarters
- Massy, France
- Ownership
- Private
Quick Facts
About Exotrail
Exotrail is a space service company that develops electric propulsion systems and orbital transfer vehicles for small satellites to enable agile space mobility. Founded in 2017 by Jean-Luc Maria, Nicolas Heitz, David Henri, and Paul Lascombes, the company emerged from technology developed at Université Paris-Saclay and CNES. Exotrail produces safe and efficient Hall Effect Thrusters that are helping build agile constellations. The company also develops SpaceVan, a hosting vehicle for small satellites. Operating from Toulouse and Massy, Exotrail has a team of over 100 employees and has raised over €75 million.
Products and product lines
| Product | Line | Note |
|---|---|---|
| spaceware™ Hall-effect thrusters (Nano/Micro/Mini) | Satellite propulsion | Modular electric-propulsion line for 10-1,000 kg satellites (Nano: 2.5 mN/60W; Micro: 7 mN/150W; Mini: 12-32 mN/300-600W); Exotrail cites 31+ systems flown, 170+ units ordered across 20 countries and 600+ hours of in-orbit firing. |
| spacevan™ LEO orbital transfer vehicle | In-space transportation (OTV) | Electric-propulsion tug operating 400-1,000 km with a 1m x 1m, 200 kg payload bay and 500 m/s delta-v; flight-proven since November 2023 with 300+ firings, and booked through its LEO 002 'Wings of Light' mission (six customers) launching Q1 2026 on SpaceX Transporter-16. |
| spacevan™ GEO variant | In-space transportation (OTV, in development) | Exotrail's first GEO-bound spacevan mission is booked to launch as an Ariane 6 (Ariane 64) auxiliary payload in the second half of 2026, supported by CNES and France 2030. |
| spacedrop™ last-mile satellite delivery | Satellite deployment service | End-to-end payload integration and deployment service; its debut mission delivered the Endurosat-built EXO-0 satellite (carrying an Airbus debris-mitigation payload) on 28 February 2024, six months after contract signature. |
| RPO / LEO deorbiting capability (with Astroscale) | In-space servicing (in development) | Exotrail is developing a controlled LEO deorbiting demonstration with Astroscale France, combining spacevan with Astroscale's capture and rendezvous/docking technology under a France 2030/CNES-funded study, targeting a first mission before 2030. |
Timeline
- 2024 Exotrail completes its first spacedrop last-mile delivery mission, deploying the EXO-0 satellite on 28 February and becoming an operational space-services provider. [source]
- 2024 Arianespace agrees to launch Exotrail's first GEO-bound spacevan mission as an Ariane 6 auxiliary payload, targeted for the second half of 2026, announced 19 November. [source]
- 2025 French deeptech firm Cailabs selects Exotrail's spacevan to fly its Astrolight ATLAS-1 optical-communication terminal on the LEO 002 mission, announced 31 July. [source]
- 2025 Exotrail reveals the fully-booked six-customer manifest for its spacevan LEO 002 mission ('Wings of Light', launching Q1 2026 on Transporter-16) and says it is now acting as in-house mission integrator for the whole orbital transfer vehicle, announced 19 September. [source]
- 2026 Exotrail and Astroscale France announce a partnership to build a controlled LEO deorbiting capability, targeting a first demonstration mission before 2030, announced 28 January. [source]
- 2026 Exotrail signs a second spaceware propulsion contract with XDLINX Space Labs for 16 units deliverable by 2027, announced 17 February. [source]
- 2026 Earth-observation company Pixxel selects Exotrail's spaceware electric propulsion for its next-generation satellites, with Exotrail citing over 150 units in backlog worldwide, announced 17 February. [source]
- 2026 Dhruva Space signs its first propulsion-delivery contract with Exotrail for spaceware systems, announced 17 February. [source]
- 2026 Exotrail and Astroscale agree to co-develop a satellite-servicing/deorbiting mission targeting LEO removal by 2030, signed during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to Astroscale's Tokyo headquarters, announced 2 April. [source]
Jean-Luc Maria (CEO & Co-founder), David Henri (Co-founder), Nicolas Heitz (Co-founder), Paul Lascombes (Co-founder)
Team
- Jean-Luc MariaCo-founder and CEO · source
Signals
- Verification
- Verified 2026-09-10
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Frequently asked about Exotrail
Quick answers to the questions readers most often search for.
- When was Exotrail founded?
- Exotrail was founded in 2017 in France.
- Where is Exotrail headquartered?
- Exotrail is headquartered in Massy, France.
- What does Exotrail do?
- Exotrail is a space service company that develops electric propulsion systems and orbital transfer vehicles for small satellites to enable agile space mobility. Founded in 2017 by Jean-Luc Maria, Nicolas Heitz, David Henri, and Paul Lascombes, the company emerged from technology developed at Université Paris-Saclay and…
- Is Exotrail a public or private company?
- Exotrail is a privately held company and is not listed on any stock exchange.
- What sector does Exotrail operate in?
- Exotrail works in propulsion and In space services.
Sources
The structured fields on this page (founding year, location, sector, status, listing) and the profile text are drawn from the sources below. How profiles are drafted and checked is described in our methodology.
- Official website (exotrail.com)
- Company LinkedIn page
- Wikidata / Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-09-05
- SatNews: Exotrail officially a space services provider (18 Mar 2024) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Satellite Today: Arianespace to Launch Exotrail's First GEO 'spacevan' (19 Nov 2024) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Exotrail: Cailabs selects Exotrail's spacevan (31 Jul 2025) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Exotrail: Reveals spacevan LEO 002 Manifest (19 Sep 2025) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Exotrail: Exotrail and Astroscale France join forces (28 Jan 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Exotrail: signs a second propulsion contract with XDLINX Space Labs (17 Feb 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Exotrail: Pixxel Announce Electric Propulsion Contract (17 Feb 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Exotrail: Dhruva Space ink first contract for propulsion systems (17 Feb 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Satellite Today: Astroscale and Exotrail to Co-Develop Servicing Mission (2 Apr 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Exotrail: spaceware Hall-effect thruster product page · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Exotrail: in-orbit services (spacevan/spacedrop) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Exotrail: Discover Exotrail (leadership) · retrieved 2026-09-10
Data Accuracy Notice: Information about Exotrail is compiled from publicly available sources including company websites, press releases, regulatory filings, and industry reports. Data is reviewed periodically but may not reflect the most recent developments.