The phase B2 design contract will define the MUSIS-CIL (MUltinational Space-based Imaging System for surveillance, reconnaissance and observation – Common Interoperability Layer), together with Thales Alenia Space. MUSIS-CIL is the section of the MUSIS Earth observation programme that will enable France and Italy to share their future military Earth observation satellite systems: CSO (Optical Space Component, a follow-on system to Helios) and CSG (Second Generation COSMO-SkyMed), respectively.
Airbus Defence and Space has already been awarded two contracts for the MUSIS programme: after being appointed prime contractor for the satellites by the French defence procurement agency DGA in 2010, the company won the contract to develop the user ground segment in January 2014.
