CERES (CapacitÉ de Renseignement Électromagnétique Spatiale) is a French space-based electronic surveillance

constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the e ...

designed to collect intelligence of electromagnetic origins anywhere in the world. Consisting of three formation-flying satellites, it was developed by

Airbus Defence and Space Airbus Defence and Space is the division of Airbus SE responsible for the development and manufacturing of the corporation's defence and space products, while also providing related services. The division was formed in January 2014 during the ...

and

Thales Alenia Space Thales Alenia Space () is a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. A joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%), the company is the largest satellite manufactur ...

under the management of the

CNES The (CNES; French: ''Centre national d'études spatiales'') is the French government space agency (administratively, a "public administration with industrial and commercial purpose"). Its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is und ...

for the French defence procurement agency ( DGA). Launched in November 2021, the satellites are expected to reach their final orbit, 700 km from Earth, after a few months and full operational capability by the end of 2022. Their purpose is to allow France to gather data that was previously inaccessible from land, sea, or airborne sensors, and for the

French military The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces. France ...

to more quickly and effectively adapt to new operational scenarios. An all-weather system operational 24/7, the CERES constellation is notably capable of tracking, identifying and mapping enemy radars, air defenses and command centers. The CERES will replace the

ELISA The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (, ) is a commonly used analytical biochemistry assay, first described by Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann in 1971. The assay uses a solid-phase type of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect the presence ...

demonstrator, a cluster of four satellites that were deorbited in the summer of 2021 after ten years of service.

History

The collection of electromagnetic intelligence is a strategic tool for France. In order to master this technology, CNES has developed and launched the Essaim and

. These demonstrators set the framework for an operational program called CERES. Like its predecessors, CERES is made up of satellites flying in formation (in close proximity to each other). It can pick up electromagnetic signals on the ground and is able to triangulate the position of transmitters, making the 3 satellites capable of detecting, locating and characterizing radar and telecommunication transmitters. Airbus Defence and Space is responsible for the integration of the complete system and the space segment comprising the three satellites, while

Thales Thales of Miletus ( ; grc-gre, Θαλῆς; ) was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regarded him ...

is responsible for the entire mission chain and system performance, from the onboard payload to the user ground segment. In addition, Thales Alenia Space has provided Airbus with the satellite platforms. The program cost is estimated at €450 million. The three satellites forming CERES were to be placed in orbit in 2020 by a

Vega rocket Vega ( it, Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata, or french: Vecteur européen de génération avancée, or en, European Vector of Advanced Generation, meaning "Advanced generation European carrier rocket") is an expendable launch system in ...

, which was ordered from

Arianespace Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the operation and marketing of the Ariane programme. The company offers a number of different launch vehicles: the heavy ...

in January 2016. However, following an anomaly on a casing, which led to some additional work, it was announced in October 2019 that the launch of a first satellite scheduled for 2020 would be postponed to 2021. The launch finally took place on 16 November 2021, at 09:27:55 UTC, onboard of the Vega flight VV20, with all 3 satellites being sent instead of one. Full operational capability is expected to be reached by the end of 2022 but it was reported they were used operationally for the first time in spring 2022 in the context of the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

References

{{Orbital launches in 2021 Reconnaissance satellites of France Signals intelligence satellites Spacecraft launched in 2021 Military equipment introduced in the 2020s 2021 in France

History

See also

References