novespace

What novespace does

Novespace is a French aerospace services company and wholly-owned subsidiary of CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) that operates parabolic flights to produce short-duration microgravity for scientific research and commercial experiences. Its core asset is the Airbus A310 Zero G, the largest of only three commercial gravity-free aircraft worldwide, with a 100 m² / 200 m³ experimental zone producing 22-second microgravity periods that accumulate to more than 30 minutes per standard three-flight campaign.

The company runs three interrelated product lines: (1) scientific parabolic flight services — 5–6 campaigns per year carrying 10–15 experiments and 30–40 researchers for space agencies including ESA, CNES, DLR, CSU, and JAXA, with operations from Bordeaux-Mérignac and Dübendorf; (2) Air Zero G public discovery flights priced at €7,950 per seat, sold through Avico and its own website; and (3) customized corporate and media packages for team-building, incentive trips, advertising shoots, and film production. It also operates the Air Zero G Sky Club community of 10,000+ past passengers and the Orbital Views immersive VR experience.

Novespace's business model is hybrid: government-funded scientific campaigns anchor core utilization, while consumer and corporate flights at premium price points subsidize them — roughly a third of public ticket revenue is reported to flow back into scientific operations. Founded in 1989 under astronaut Jean-François Clervoy (now President), the company has conducted 133+ campaigns and accumulated 13,000+ parabolas and 72+ hours of weightlessness, making it the longest-operating commercial parabolic flight provider in Europe.

Name

novespace

Legal name

NOVESPACE

Website

https://novespace.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Novespace, a CNES-owned French operator, runs parabolic flights on its Airbus A310 Zero G aircraft to provide microgravity research services for European and Asian space agencies and premium weightlessness experiences for consumers and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mérignac

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Scientific Flight Campaigns: Organizes 5-6 scientific research flights per year for space agencies including ESA, CNES, DLR, CSU, and JAXA. Each campaign consists of 3 flights with 31 parabolas each, conducting 10-15 experiments per mission.
2. Public Discovery Flights: Commercial flights open to individuals at €7,950 per person. Passengers experience weightlessness, lunar gravity, and Martian gravity parabolas. Ticket purchases contribute to subsidizing scientific flights.
3. Corporate Packages: Customized gravity-free experiences for corporate clients including incentive programs, team building, competition prizes, advertising filming, and movie production shoots.
4. Equipment Testing Services: Provides microgravity testing environment for space-bound equipment and devices before orbital deployment. Enables validation of experiments intended for space stations or satellites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Novespace operates a modified Airbus A310 Zero G aircraft to conduct parabolic flights that produce microgravity, lunar gravity, and Martian gravity conditions for scientific research, equipment testing, public discovery experiences, and corporate events. Standard scientific campaigns comprise three flights of 31 parabolas each, generating over 30 minutes of cumulative weightlessness, while public Air Zero G flights sell tickets at €7,950 per passenger for a 15-parabola experience. The company also offers customized corporate packages for incentive programs, team building, advertising, and film production.

Product overview

Novespace is a CNES subsidiary that operates the world's largest zero-gravity flight platform, built around the Airbus A310 Zero G aircraft. Its portfolio consists of three interrelated product lines: (1) Scientific Research Flight Services — the core B2B offering, enabling research laboratories and space agencies to conduct microgravity experiments across disciplines including physics, biology, physiology, and materials science, with standard campaigns of 93 parabolas across 3 days; (2) Air Zero G Discovery Flights — B2C/B2B weightlessness experiences for the public and corporations, including Orbital Views immersive VR and bespoke corporate packages; and (3) the Air Zero G Sky Club loyalty community. All flight operations use the same Airbus A310 Zero G aircraft, with departures from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 133 scientific campaigns conducted since 1988
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ESA (European Space Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA is the biggest user of parabolic flights in Europe for European research laboratories. Astronauts Jean-François Clervoy (part-time) and Thomas Pesquet serve as pilots. ESA coordinates joint space projects for about twenty European countries.
• DLR (German Aerospace Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGermany's national aeronautics and space research center. Regular user of parabolic flights for biological, physiological, physical and materials sciences research. In 2014, DLR helped Novespace purchase the Airbus A310 Zero G.
• CSU (Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBased in Beijing, CSU is Novespace's exclusive partner for marketing parabolic flights in China, both scientific and public (Air Zero G). CSU is the space division of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• AvicocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrance's leading air broker in charge of commercializing Air Zero G flights. Handles marketing and sales of public discovery parabolic flights alongside Novespace.
• Université de CaenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides medical support for parabolic flights. In conjunction with CHU de Caen, helped Novespace achieve biomedical research accreditation for the Airbus A310 Zero G. Acts as sponsor for onboard external biomedical research experiments.
• ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BIC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA BIC runs startup pitch competitions in Earth Observation and Space Transportation domains. Winners including SpaceSense and Magdrive experienced weightlessness on Airbus A310 Zero-G as part of their prizes.
• Swiss Skylab FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss organization supporting space research and education activities. Partners with Novespace for parabolic flight campaigns.
• JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapan's space agency participates in Novespace parabolic flight campaigns for scientific research. Previously NASDA, JAXA has used A310 for satellite antenna deployment experiments.
• Sabena TechnicsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAviation maintenance and support services provider. Technicians from Sabena Technics assist with aircraft maintenance and preparation for parabolic flight operations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• World View: Stratospheric balloon-based near-space experience provider offering capsule flights to the edge of space, addressing an adjacent but differentiated high-end experience customer.
• Space Perspective: Stratospheric balloon experience operator targeting the premium space tourism market with gentler, longer-duration flights at the edge of space, parallel to Air Zero G's consumer positioning.

Direct peers

• Zero Gravity Corporation (Zero-G): US-based operator of parabolic flights for both scientific research and public discovery experiences using a modified Boeing 727. The closest direct global competitor to Novespace's Air Zero G service, with overlapping customer base and identical core technology.
• MiGFlug: Swiss-based adventure flight operator offering MiG jet flights and zero-G experiences in aerobatic aircraft, addressing the same European thrill-seeking and corporate experience customer base as Novespace's public flights.
• Incredible Adventures: US-based adventure experience provider that books and resells Zero-G parabolic flights for consumers, paralleling Avico's role as distributor for Novespace's Air Zero G brand.

Broad incumbents

• Virgin Galactic: Suborbital space tourism operator offering higher-altitude weightlessness experiences via spaceplane, addressing an overlapping high-end consumer segment interested in zero-G experiences and space-themed marketing.
• Blue Origin: Suborbital spaceflight operator with a broader portfolio including capsule-based tourist flights producing several minutes of weightlessness, competing for the same aspirational consumer and corporate marketing spend.
• Axiom Space: Commercial space station developer offering microgravity access and research services, a longer-duration alternative platform for the same research customers Novespace serves today.

Others

• Avico: France's leading air broker and Novespace's distribution partner for commercializing Air Zero G tickets; comparable as an adjacent distribution and charter broker in the European air experience space.
• Sabena Technics: Independent aircraft maintenance provider servicing the Airbus A310 Zero G and supporting Novespace's operations; representative of the specialized MRO ecosystem required for parabolic flight operators.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about novespace