Airbus and Unseenlabs awarded French military satellite contract

Airbus Defence and Space and Unseenlabs have been awarded the CASSIOPÉE contract by the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) to develop new military satellites for space-based electromagnetic intelligence.

Announced by French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin, the project is part of the CELESTE program. The new system is intended to replace the existing CERES constellation by 2032, ensuring France maintains its operational capacity for signals intelligence (SIGINT). The mission aims to improve technical performance, increase responsiveness, and bolster national sovereignty and strategic autonomy.

Airbus will serve as the prime contractor and system integrator, providing the control center, the space segment, and a satellite solution based on its S250 platform. Unseenlabs will act as a co-contractor, contributing mission expertise, ground and onboard processing, the user ground segment, and an innovative payload.