FRANCE | Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar has returned to Earth after its debut flight into space.
This historic event marked the culmination of nine years of research and experimentation, during which Maison Mumm, in collaboration with a community of experts, has once again pushed the boundaries, continuing the explorations it initiated when it was founded in 1827.
On the 25th of June 2025, the first champagne adapted to space launched on an Axiom Space mission from Florida, returning to Earth on the 15th of July 2025 in perfect condition in its specially designed, state-of-the-art bottle.
Beyond the technological achievement of this brilliantly executed mission, Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar has become a powerful symbol of the spirit of celebration and conviviality.
The project that took Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar into space began in 2017, when Maison Mumm assembled an expert team: Octave de Gaulle, founder of SPADE, which specialises in designing products and experiences for human life beyond Earth; the CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), France’s national space agency; and Jean-François Clervoy, an astronaut with the European Space Agency, and the veteran of three NASA space missions.
The prototype of Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar was presented in 2018, resulting in an initial set of observations, both technical and oenological. These were integrated into the design of a second prototype, produced in 2022, which also conformed to CNES specifications for safety and tasting in conditions of zero gravity.
That same year, Maison Mumm announced its collaboration with Axiom Space, which would carry Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar on a future, real-life mission.
The final, crucial step before the mission could go ahead was a zero-gravity test flight, which was completed in March 2025.
Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar presented a two-fold challenge: one of design and one of winemaking. The design had not only to respect the stringent safety standards of a space mission, but also to preserve and ensure the precious champagne bottle remained intact.
Futuristic in conception, it features a glass half-bottle secured by a stainless steel opening and closing mechanism – the same material used by Maison Mumm for its vats in Reims.
The bottle is protected within a sleek outer casing of aeronautical-grade aluminium, emblazoned with the iconic red ribbon of Mumm Cordon Rouge. The casing’s long neck, ending in a cork secured by a metal ring, was designed to allow the champagne to be served in conditions of zero gravity.
The second, and equally important, aspect of the challenge involved the champagne itself. To counteract the dulling of the senses of smell and taste that occurs in space, the blend of Mumm Cordon Rouge had to be subtly adjusted.
“Over and above its contribution to space exploration, the significance of this project lies in what champagne represents – shared values, an enduring art de vivre, a symbol of our culture – and in the possibility of recreating it in an entirely new environment,” said César Giron, CEO of Maison Mumm.
“While Mumm Cordon Rouge is synonymous with earthly celebrations, Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar preserves, beyond the boundaries of our planet, the memory of a terroir, a climate, a savoir-faire and a ritual of conviviality – in short, a symbolic link to life on Earth.”
In approximately five months, Yann Munier, Cellar Master of Maison Mumm, will be authorised to open the bottle and taste the world’s first champagne to have voyaged into space.
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