French space operator SpaceLocker is redefining orbital infrastructure by leveraging satellites as shared platforms for faster, more competitive, and sustainable missions.
SpaceLocker today announced two major milestones in its development: a strategic investment from Thales Corporate Ventures and the launch of three new shared missions scheduled for 2026 and 2027. Just months after its first mission as a full-fledged operator, “Out of the Box,” the company confirms the viability of its shared space infrastructure model and the trust it inspires among legacy industry leaders.
Théophile Lagraulet, President and Co-founder of SpaceLocker, stated: “Thales Corporate Ventures’ investment in SpaceLocker is a strong endorsement of our model. This vote of confidence, combined with the announcement of our next three missions, proves that our shared space infrastructure model addresses a critical market need: deploying payloads into orbit faster, at lower cost, and more sustainably.”
A Strengthened Strategic Partnership with Thales Alenia Space
The investment from Thales Corporate Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Thales Group, marks a new milestone in SpaceLocker’s growth and reinforces its strategic partnership with Thales Alenia Space. This investment reflects the confidence of a key space industry player in SpaceLocker’s orbital hosting operator model, as well as its payload containerization technology featuring a plug-and-play “universal space port.”
This builds upon the ongoing partnership with Thales Alenia Space and the support provided to SpaceLocker within the Space Business Catalyst, its program dedicated to exploring and fostering sustainable new space markets. This alliance will accelerate the industrialization of SpaceLocker’s offering and drive new business opportunities both in France and internationally.
Ramping Up with “Mind The Gap,” “Hitchhiker 3,” and “Hitchhiker 4” Missions
At the same time, SpaceLocker is confirming its growth as an orbital hosting operator with the announcement of three new missions planned for 2026 and 2027. Named “Mind The Gap,” “Hitchhiker 3,” and “Hitchhiker 4,” these missions will carry six payloads into low Earth orbit (LEO) developed by European space players, featuring a highly anticipated deployment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for the “Mind The Gap” mission. These instruments will serve Earth observation, telecommunications, and scientific applications. These new missions clearly demonstrate the ramp-up of SpaceLocker’s model, which relies on standardization, resource sharing, and payload hosting aboard third-party satellites.
About SpaceLocker
Founded in 2022, SpaceLocker is a French space operator revolutionizing access to orbit through its shared hosting model. In response to the challenges of an increasingly congested orbit, the company provides a concrete solution: avoiding the costly design of dedicated satellites by maximizing the capacity of existing spacecraft to host multiple missions. Building on its track record, SpaceLocker delivers faster, more affordable, and sustainable access to space, aiming to become the global benchmark in the industry.
Media Contact
Arnaud Le Dévéhat : arnaud.ledevehat@spacelocker.fr