a summary/synthesis of French space capabilities:
(theconversation, oct.05)
Satellites: the eyes, ears and mouthpiece of French defence in space
Convinced from the outset of the strategic dimension of space, the French political authorities have, since the end of the 1950s, made substantial and continuous efforts in this field.
This policy has borne fruit, so much so that our armed forces are today equipped with high-performance space capabilities covering a very broad spectrum of missions (space telecommunications, observation and electronic surveillance), which few countries can put forward. A new generation of satellites designed to support joint operations is currently being put in place.
At the end of this movement, the armed forces will have their own three CSO optical observation satellites, a constellation of three CERES electronic listening satellites and two Syracuse 4 military telecommunications satellites; in a way, they will be the eyes, ears and voice of French defence in space.
CSO: the eyes
In 1995, the first European military optical observation satellite was put into orbit. It was French and called Helios 1. With it, the French armed forces gained access to high-resolution space imagery. The two Helios 1s were replaced in the mid-2000s by two Helios 2s with improved performance.
The Helios family has been replaced in orbit since December 2018 by the CSO programme (for Cosmic Space Component), which provides for three identical satellites in sun-synchronous polar orbit; two at 800 kilometres for the reconnaissance mission and one at 480 kilometres for the identification mission, providing access to more precise information. The first two CSOs are operational, the third will be operational in 2023.
CSO provides access to visible and infrared image quality that is unmatched in Europe. Technological innovations applied to its large-diameter mirror and its focal planes make it possible to acquire extremely high-resolution colour images, i.e. images that not only make it possible to detect features of interest, but also to understand their nature and identify them. For example, with CSO, it is possible to distinguish whether an individual is armed or the details of a weapon system.
Thanks to its infrared capability, which captures the thermal signature of the scenes observed, the CSO instrument can also take night-time images at a level of performance that is unmatched by Helios 2.
But for the military, seeing, characterising and identifying is not enough in itself. It is also a question of geolocating the objects observed with the best possible precision, and from this point of view, the performance obtained by CSO enables it to meet the highest military requirements. With CSO, intelligence gathering from space not only makes a considerable qualitative leap forward, thanks to the very high performance of the satellites, but it is also strengthened in terms of the volume of information obtained and responsiveness. Compared to the previous generation, there are many more images available and they are delivered much more quickly.
In this programme, the French government and the French space industry have combined their talents to produce a system of the highest world standard. The Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) led the programme, assisted by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), to which it delegated the contracting of the satellites and the ground segment of the mission, while the national industry was also able to meet the technological challenges of the programme.
CERES: the ears
For some, Ceres is the Roman goddess of harvest and fertility; for the French military, the name evokes a space intelligence system.
Since November 2021, three CERES (CapacitÉ de Renseignement Électromagnétique Spatiale) satellites have been in orbit. The CERES constellation enables the detection, characterisation and precise location of electromagnetic signals emitted by radar or communication systems. The system covers a wide range of frequencies and allows the detected transmitters to be revisited every day.
With CERES, the French military can monitor the electromagnetic spectrum for the purpose of developing an enemy order of battle or preparing electronic warfare measures; they can also accurately monitor potential targets. The CERES system, the first of its kind in Europe, is the heir to 25 years of national effort in the field of electromagnetic listening from space and capitalises on the achievements of a series of demonstrators that have validated the technologies on board CERES.
In the 1990s, the Cerise and Clémentine demonstrators first validated the feasibility of detecting an electromagnetic signal from space, then the Essaim demonstrators in the 2000s and Elisa in the 2010s validated the principle of locating a transmitter on the ground through formation flight.
It is precisely by using this technique that the three CERES satellites determine the position of a transmitter on the surface of the globe. The more accurate the satellites' position keeping, the more accurate it will be. This is where the know-how of the CNES teams, who maintain CERES in orbit, comes into play. With the Essaim and Elisa demonstrators, the precursors of CERES, these teams have developed and refined a technique for building up a satellite formation and maintaining it accurately and efficiently over time.
Syracuse: the megaphone
Over the past forty years, several generations of telecommunications satellites have provided the French armed forces with a very long-distance communication capability. The Syracuse 1 to 3 systems have followed one another, and Syracuse 4 is currently being installed. With this system, with its tenfold increase in performance, the ambition is to meet the increase in throughput requirements of the armed forces linked to the growing digitisation of the battlefield, and to provide a service to new users such as aircraft or vehicles in motion.
To this end, in addition to its very high jamming resistance and X-band communication capabilities, Syracuse 4 provides new military Ka-band capabilities. This new system takes full advantage of the dynamics of the commercial civil sector, where our manufacturers are particularly well placed, by drawing on the most promising innovations in digital technology. The first Syracuse 4 satellite is in place in geostationary orbit and will be joined in 2023 by a second platform.
Towards a new era
"The phrase is from Auguste Comte and conveniently links three verbs essential to the military art in a logical sequence. In this field, more than in any other, they cannot be combined without the contribution of space capabilities.
French defence has understood this and has been engaged for several years in the replacement of its space intelligence and telecommunications systems. With CSO, CERES and Syracuse 4, it now has capabilities at the highest level. However, it is already working with CNES and industry to prepare the next generation, which is expected at the beginning of the next decade. Iris, Celeste and Syracuse 4C will then open a new era. /Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
(theconversation, oct.05)
Satellites: the eyes, ears and mouthpiece of French defence in space
Convinced from the outset of the strategic dimension of space, the French political authorities have, since the end of the 1950s, made substantial and continuous efforts in this field.
This policy has borne fruit, so much so that our armed forces are today equipped with high-performance space capabilities covering a very broad spectrum of missions (space telecommunications, observation and electronic surveillance), which few countries can put forward. A new generation of satellites designed to support joint operations is currently being put in place.
At the end of this movement, the armed forces will have their own three CSO optical observation satellites, a constellation of three CERES electronic listening satellites and two Syracuse 4 military telecommunications satellites; in a way, they will be the eyes, ears and voice of French defence in space.
CSO: the eyes
In 1995, the first European military optical observation satellite was put into orbit. It was French and called Helios 1. With it, the French armed forces gained access to high-resolution space imagery. The two Helios 1s were replaced in the mid-2000s by two Helios 2s with improved performance.
The Helios family has been replaced in orbit since December 2018 by the CSO programme (for Cosmic Space Component), which provides for three identical satellites in sun-synchronous polar orbit; two at 800 kilometres for the reconnaissance mission and one at 480 kilometres for the identification mission, providing access to more precise information. The first two CSOs are operational, the third will be operational in 2023.
CSO provides access to visible and infrared image quality that is unmatched in Europe. Technological innovations applied to its large-diameter mirror and its focal planes make it possible to acquire extremely high-resolution colour images, i.e. images that not only make it possible to detect features of interest, but also to understand their nature and identify them. For example, with CSO, it is possible to distinguish whether an individual is armed or the details of a weapon system.
Thanks to its infrared capability, which captures the thermal signature of the scenes observed, the CSO instrument can also take night-time images at a level of performance that is unmatched by Helios 2.
But for the military, seeing, characterising and identifying is not enough in itself. It is also a question of geolocating the objects observed with the best possible precision, and from this point of view, the performance obtained by CSO enables it to meet the highest military requirements. With CSO, intelligence gathering from space not only makes a considerable qualitative leap forward, thanks to the very high performance of the satellites, but it is also strengthened in terms of the volume of information obtained and responsiveness. Compared to the previous generation, there are many more images available and they are delivered much more quickly.
In this programme, the French government and the French space industry have combined their talents to produce a system of the highest world standard. The Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) led the programme, assisted by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), to which it delegated the contracting of the satellites and the ground segment of the mission, while the national industry was also able to meet the technological challenges of the programme.
CERES: the ears
For some, Ceres is the Roman goddess of harvest and fertility; for the French military, the name evokes a space intelligence system.
Since November 2021, three CERES (CapacitÉ de Renseignement Électromagnétique Spatiale) satellites have been in orbit. The CERES constellation enables the detection, characterisation and precise location of electromagnetic signals emitted by radar or communication systems. The system covers a wide range of frequencies and allows the detected transmitters to be revisited every day.
With CERES, the French military can monitor the electromagnetic spectrum for the purpose of developing an enemy order of battle or preparing electronic warfare measures; they can also accurately monitor potential targets. The CERES system, the first of its kind in Europe, is the heir to 25 years of national effort in the field of electromagnetic listening from space and capitalises on the achievements of a series of demonstrators that have validated the technologies on board CERES.
In the 1990s, the Cerise and Clémentine demonstrators first validated the feasibility of detecting an electromagnetic signal from space, then the Essaim demonstrators in the 2000s and Elisa in the 2010s validated the principle of locating a transmitter on the ground through formation flight.
It is precisely by using this technique that the three CERES satellites determine the position of a transmitter on the surface of the globe. The more accurate the satellites' position keeping, the more accurate it will be. This is where the know-how of the CNES teams, who maintain CERES in orbit, comes into play. With the Essaim and Elisa demonstrators, the precursors of CERES, these teams have developed and refined a technique for building up a satellite formation and maintaining it accurately and efficiently over time.
Syracuse: the megaphone
Over the past forty years, several generations of telecommunications satellites have provided the French armed forces with a very long-distance communication capability. The Syracuse 1 to 3 systems have followed one another, and Syracuse 4 is currently being installed. With this system, with its tenfold increase in performance, the ambition is to meet the increase in throughput requirements of the armed forces linked to the growing digitisation of the battlefield, and to provide a service to new users such as aircraft or vehicles in motion.
To this end, in addition to its very high jamming resistance and X-band communication capabilities, Syracuse 4 provides new military Ka-band capabilities. This new system takes full advantage of the dynamics of the commercial civil sector, where our manufacturers are particularly well placed, by drawing on the most promising innovations in digital technology. The first Syracuse 4 satellite is in place in geostationary orbit and will be joined in 2023 by a second platform.
Towards a new era
"The phrase is from Auguste Comte and conveniently links three verbs essential to the military art in a logical sequence. In this field, more than in any other, they cannot be combined without the contribution of space capabilities.
French defence has understood this and has been engaged for several years in the replacement of its space intelligence and telecommunications systems. With CSO, CERES and Syracuse 4, it now has capabilities at the highest level. However, it is already working with CNES and industry to prepare the next generation, which is expected at the beginning of the next decade. Iris, Celeste and Syracuse 4C will then open a new era. /Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
