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ProgramsDassault VORTEX

Aircraft program

Dassault VORTEX

In production
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VORTEX: Véhicule Orbital Réutilisable de Transport et d’Exploration, reusable spaceplane program that lands and manoeuvres in space like an aircraft, for advancing space operations and commercial/science/military missions. Includes subscale VORTEX-D (flight demonstrator, 1:3 scale), and VORTEX-S (smart free flyer, 2:3 scale) variants, and full-scale VORTEX-C (cargo), and VORTEX-M (manned) variants. In development.

Lift type
Fixed wing
Construction
Factory-built
Control
Piloted
Engine type
Application
Cargo, Experimental, Utility

Design & construction

Primary structure
Composite
Wing
Composite
Pressurisation
Unpressurised
Flight controls
Full FBW digital

Technical reference compiled with AI research; a value appears only where two independent research passes and a web fact-check agree. Gaps are deliberate.

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Type variants

VariantLaunch / first flightProduction endNotes
Dassault VORTEX-D / Reusable spaceplane technology demonstrator, will use Rocket Lab Electron as launch vehicle.
Dassault VORTEX-S / Larger variant with service module.

Airframer

Dassault AviationNews

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Program milestones 4 dated events

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