Second Successful Launch of the SyLEx Sounding Rocket
04.11.2026
ArianeGroup has built the second SyLEx sounding rocket (Système de Lancement d’Expériences, or Experiment Launch System), which was successfully launched on 4 November 2026 under the direction of the French Defence Procurement and Technology Agency (DGA) from its Missile Testing Centre in Biscarrosse (DGA-EM).
This successful launch of the single-stage version carried a payload for DGA and the French Ministry for the Armed Forces and Veterans.
This was the second launch of the SyLEx system and its first operational flight, following a successful demonstration flight on 28 November 2025.
This second successful launch of SyLEx demonstrates ArianeGroup’s ability to provide customers with a sovereign suborbital test platform that is essential to major development programmes. This was a particularly significant flight, carrying a major experimental payload for DGA and the French Ministry for the Armed Forces and Veterans. In parallel, we are continuing to work with DGA on the next step in our incremental development roadmap: the two-stage version of the SyLEx sounding rocket.
SyLEx is designed to support a wide range of missions, including atmospheric re-entry and microgravity experiments. It targets both civilian and military applications on the European market.
This new product consists of two sounding rocket models, a single-stage and a two-stage version, completed by a dedicated launch pad. With a payload capacity up to 600 kg, the new launch system can reach altitudes between 200 and 400 kilometres. Depending on the payload and mission configuration, the SyLEx sounding rocket can accommodate multiple experiments in a single flight.
ArianeGroup is the industrial prime contractor for the SyLEx system (Système de Lancement d’Expériences) on behalf of the French Defence Procurement and Technology Agency (DGA), the contracting authority.
Developed in less than three years for DGA, SyLEx provides France with its first sovereign suborbital launch capability.
