A linear actuator suitable for mobilizing a load comprises: a leg linked to the load by one of its ends with a ball joint with three degrees of freedom in rotation; a plate that is mobile in translation along an axis belonging to a plane of a support of the actuator, said mobile plate being mechanically linked to the leg by its other end. The linear actuator also comprises at least one first elastic cable, fixed by one of its ends to the mobile plate, and fixed by its other end to the support, being engaged in a first pulley fixed to the support. The actuator can notably be used to mobilize a simulation platform mounted on a hexapod.