ArianeGroup, Eutelsat and Magellium will enhance French space surveillance capabilities, the Airbus-Safran-owned joint venture announced Monday. The consortium led by ArianeGroup, associated with Eutelsat and Magellium, won a contract led by the National Center for Space Studies (CNES), as part of the space component of the “France 2030” future investment plan.
“The consortium will provide CNES with a space surveillance data service or “Space Situational Awereness” (SSA) through the deployment of multi-orbit optical sensors, and the development and realization of a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) optical space segment, to complement and increase the performance of the existing terrestrial network operated by ArianeGroup”, specifies the press release.
A strategic challenge for France and for Europe
Representative of this project, ArianeGroup will guarantee “the supply of surveillance services provided by the telescopes of its terrestrial network, complemented by data from the space sensor that will be developed during the project, and will later be interconnected with the ArianeGroup system”.
“Developing sovereign space surveillance capabilities is a great strategic challenge for France and for Europe. We are proud to contribute together to strengthen security in space,” reacted Philippe Clar, director of defense programs at ArianeGroup, quoted in the press release. . France is one of the few countries in the world to have such a system, a matter of sovereignty in the age of spy satellites and the proliferation of constellations of small devices.
Well distributed tasks
As co-contractor, Eutelsat, “will design, build and operate the first satellite
they make up this space segment and will guarantee the supply of data”. The French telecommunications satellite operator has joined forces with the company Sodern to “design and produce the on-board space sensor”.
Also a co-contractor, Magellium, will develop “image processing that can be used in different types of optical payloads.” “The project begins with a 24-month pre-operational phase”, the press release finally specifies, “followed, by CNES decision, by an 18-month operational service demonstration phase”.
Source: BFM TV
