CERES

CERES (CapacitÉ de Renseignement Électromagnétique Spatiale) is a French space-based electronic surveillance constellation 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 and Thales Alenia Space under the management of the CNES 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 to more quickly and effectively adapt to new operational scenarios.