Composante Spatiale Optique

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Composante Optique Spatiale
Maquette Composante Spatiale Optique.jpg
NamesCSO-1
CSO-2
CSO-3
Mission type Military reconnaissance
Operator CNES / DGA
COSPAR ID 2018-106A (CSO-1)
2020-104A (CSO-2)
2025-044A (CSO-3)
SATCAT no. 43866 (CSO-1)
47305 (CSO-2)
63156 (CSO-3)
Mission duration10 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
Bus CSO
Manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space (satellite)
Thales Alenia Space
(optical payload)
Launch mass3,655 kg (8,058 lb) (CSO-1)
3,652 kg (8,051 lb) (CSO-2)
Start of mission
Launch date19 December 2018,
13:37:00 UTC (CSO-1)
29 December 2020,
16:42:07 UTC (CSO-2)
6 March 2025,
16:24:26 UTC (CSO-3)
Rocket Soyuz ST-A (CSO-1, CSO-2)
Ariane 62 (CSO-3)
Launch site Guiana Space Centre, ELS (CSO-1, CSO-2)
Guiana Space Centre, ELA-4 (CSO-3)
Contractor Progress Rocket Space Centre, Arianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit
Regime Sun-synchronous orbit
Altitude800 km (500 mi) (CSO-1)
480 km (300 mi) (CSO-2)
800 km (500 mi) (CSO-3)
Inclination 98.6° (CSO-1/CSO-3)
97.3° (CSO-2)

Composante Spatiale Optique (CSO; English: Optical Space Component) is a French military Reconnaissance satellite program of third generation. It replaces the Helios 2 satellites. It is sometimes referred to as the MUltinational Space-based Imaging System for Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Observation (MUSIS program).

Contents

Program history

Since the launch of Helios 1A in 1995, France has developed a series of military Earth observation programs. Due to the limited lifetime of satellites, a program was launched to replace the currently operational Helios 2 satellites. This program started as a French contribution to the larger pan-European MUSIS program, and eventually became a mostly French program. [1] An agreement between France and Germany was reached in April 2015, under which Germany contributes €200 million to building a third satellite, and in exchange receives access rights to the imagery. [2] [3] Sweden and Belgium are also a program partners, which enables the use of a polar ground station. [4] [5]

Technical capabilities

Unlike the Helios satellites, which used the same bus as the Spot satellites, CSO uses technology derived from the Pléiades satellites. It is much heavier than Pléiades with a mass of 3650 kg. [6] They are made out of 3 identical satellites. The first one was launched in December 2018, and provide Very High Resolution imagery - like the Helios 2 satellites, [7] so around 35 cm [8] from an 800 km orbit. [9] The second satellite provides Extremely High Resolution imagery - around 20 cm - from a 480 km orbit. [6] The third satellite was launched in March 2025 and provides increased revisit capabilities. [10] [11] The satellites have the ability to take infrared images. [12] The satellite manufacturing was awarded to Airbus Defence and Space, while the optical payload is built by Thales Alenia Space. [13]

The CSO system is able to produce at least 280 images a day on average. [4] [14]

The program cost is estimated at €1.3 billion, [1] with an additional €300 million for the ground segment and 10 years of operations. [15] The marginal cost of the third satellite is €300 million. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 (in French) French Finance Law for 2013 : Defence : Equipment
  2. 1 2 (in French) Opex360.com article
  3. ↑ SpaceNews article
  4. 1 2 (in French) Hearing of the French Space Command Chief by the National Assembly
  5. ↑ "CSO-1 L'ESPACE AU SERVICE DE LA DÉFENSE". CNES. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2020.(in French)
  6. 1 2 page on CSO on the CNES website
  7. ↑ (in French) Hearing on the Director of Military Intelligence at the French National Assembly
  8. ↑ SpaceNews article on Helios II B
  9. ↑ (in French) French Military Planning Law for 2014-2019
  10. ↑ Lagneau, Laurent (4 March 2022). "Faute de lanceur Soyouz, la mise sur orbite du satellite militaire français CSO-3 sera retardée d'un an" [In the absence of a Soyuz launcher, the orbital insertion of the French military satellite CSO-3 will be delayed by a year]. Opex360 (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  11. ↑ (in French) Article on Musis on the French Ministry of Defense website
  12. ↑ Sofradir wins military satellite IR detector contract
  13. ↑ "Lancement de la réalisation des satellites CSO du programme Musis". Direction générale de l'armement. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2013.(in French)
  14. ↑ (in French) Article mentioning Pléiades programming rights
  15. ↑ (in French) Press release from the DGA
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