RIDE! and the French Defence Innovation Agency Launch a Market Study on Launch Service Providers

[Paris, July 9th, 2025] –  In a context where space is becoming a key pillar of technological sovereignty and national security, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces is strengthening its cooperation with emerging NewSpace players to better understand and anticipate developments in the launch market.

As part of this effort, the Defence Innovation Agency (AID) has entrusted RIDE!, a French start-up specializing in launch market intelligence and launch mission services, with a study aimed at enhancing its strategic monitoring capabilities and analyzing market dynamics.

Through this study, AID gains access to the RIDE! platform, designed for satellite operators, manufacturers, and institutional stakeholders. The platform centralizes, compares, and analyzes launch opportunities offered by all launch service providers on the market. This tool serves as a valuable lever to monitor the evolution of global launch capabilities and decode commercial trends shaping this rapidly transforming market.

Far from traditional technology-focused studies, this initiative addresses a growing need to analyze the economic and competitive dimensions of access to space. By 2030, more than twenty operators are expected to be active, with high pressure on launch availability, particularly for sun-synchronous and low-inclination orbits.

Beyond market monitoring, the study will allow the Ministry of the Armed Forces to explore different acquisition models and assess the resilience of the European space access system.

In recent years, the Agency has initiated numerous demonstrators and is therefore integrating the monitoring of launch service solutions and market responses under crisis conditions, rapid scale-up scenarios, or emergency launch needs.

This initiative illustrates AID’s dual-use innovation approach and its commitment to integrating the capabilities of new space players. For RIDE!, this collaboration marks a major milestone in its support for the Ministry of the Armed Forces, contributing to the development of a deep strategic understanding of space access; now a critical component of both national and European space strategy.

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"This market study with the French Defence Innovation Agency (AID) is a major milestone in our development and clearly marks RIDE!'s commitment to supporting Defence-related topics with greater flexibility and expanded possibilities regarding access to space. Launch becomes multi-modal, responsive, and with a launch-as-a-service approach. RIDE!, as a leader of this model, aims to better support both AID and the Direction Générale de l’armement (DGA), in line with our vision of being the new standard of collaboration for access to space by offering the most convenient, reliable, and affordable launch expertise.

Thank you to Armament General Engineer Patrick AUFORT, Director of the Defence Innovation Agency, to Jean-Michel Parlier, Manager of the 'New Space' innovation portfolio and to all the AID teams. On behalf of the RIDE! team, we are truly honored by your trust.", said Valentin BENOIT, CEO de RIDE!

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"RIDE! is a company positioned on an innovative business model. Its positioning brings added value to the ecosystem. The Defence Innovation Agency (AID) supports this new opportunity.", said Jean-Michel Parlier, Manager of the 'New Space' innovation portfolio.

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Press contact:

From AID

Helene DEFLEUR
Mail: helene.defleur@intradef.gouv.fr

From RIDE!

Miriam GARCIA ABAD
‍Tel: 07 45 88 09 97
Mail : miriam.garcia@ridespace.io