PARIS – The French Defense Innovation Agency and armament agency DGA unveiled a low-Earth orbit space surveillance program at the Space Defense and Security Summit here.
French startup U-space will work with multinational missile supplier MBDA to develop a pair of satellites to demonstrate spacecraft detection, characterization and targeting. The program, known as Toutatis, includes a 12-unit “Spotter” cubesat and a smaller target cubesat.
No launch has yet been announced but the satellites are likely to reach orbit in couple of years.
Active Defense
France seeks an “active defense capability” for space assets, said Eva Portier, DGA deputy for space.
A video showed the “Spotter” satellite detecting the target, sharing imagery with a ground-based tactical operations center and dazzling the target with a laser.
The DGA is committed to protecting space assets within 36,000 kilometers of Earth, Portier said.
First, it’s essential to better understand what’s happening in space, said Maj. Gen. Philippe Adam, French Space Command leader.
France already is working on surveillance in geosynchronous orbit through a program called Yoda. Two small satellites being built by Hemeria are equipped with cameras from the French space agency CNES to investigate space-based threats.
France’s annual military space exercise, AsterX, continues to underscore the need for improved situational awareness in low-Earth orbit.
The Toutatis program shows how France will take advantage of the NewSpace sector to fill technological gaps, said Maj. Gen. Patrick Aufort, Defense Innovation Agency director.
