Composante Spatiale Optique

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Composante Optique Spatiale
NamesCSO-1
CSO-2
CSO-3
Mission type Military reconnaissance
Operator CNES / DGA
COSPAR ID 2018-106A (CSO-1)
2020-104A (CSO-2)
SATCAT no. 43866 (CSO-1)
47305 (CSO-2)
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)
2023 (planned) (CSO-3)
Rocket Soyuz ST-A (CSO-1, CSO-2)
Ariane 62 (CSO-3)
Launch site Centre Spatial Guyanais, ELS and ELA-4
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)
Inclination 97.3°
 

Composante Spatiale Optique (CSO; English: Optical Space Component) is a French military Earth observation 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 will be launched in 2023 and provide 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]

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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