France’s defence procurement agency, the DGA, has awarded Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space a contract worth more than €1.5 billion to develop two IRIS military Earth observation satellites. The contract runs until the end of the 2030s and covers design, manufacture and testing, as well as ground systems, in-orbit operations and maintenance.
IRIS will replace France’s CSO satellites. It is designed to deliver sharper images more quickly, with day-and-night coverage in visible and infrared wavelengths. The satellites will also be able to image objects in orbit to support space surveillance.
Airbus, the lead contractor, will supply both satellite platforms, provide a substantial part of the first satellite’s imaging payload and oversee the ground systems. Thales Alenia Space will develop the second satellite’s payload, supply key components for the first and contribute to the ground systems. Airbus said the programme remains open to cooperation with allied nations.