CNES, France’s national space agency, has deployed four Airbus-made Constellation Optique 3D satellites into orbit, marking the start of its mission to produce a highly detailed 3D map of Earth’s surface.
Launched from a European spaceport in French Guiana using an Arianespace Vega-C rocket, the dual-use spacecraft are now positioned in sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 502 kilometers. They will undergo in-orbit testing before starting their mission to deliver a 3D map of France and the “crisis arc.”
The 285-kilogram CO3D spacecraft features several technologies, including the new Step and Stare observation mode, a matrix detector capable of capturing areas of interest and agility that enables it to reposition between successive images.
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According to the CNES website, the CO3D program will work alongside the Pleiades satellite to deliver geographic data covering the entire globe in three dimensions. The satellites are designed to provide a global high-resolution Digital Surface Model, with the CNES having access to 50 cm stereo imagery, while international governments and clients receive 2D imagery data.
Airbus Defence and Space secured the contract to deliver the spacecraft in 2019 and expects it to be commercially available by mid-2027.
Alain Faure, Airbus’ head of space systems, said the S250-based satellites will provide high revisit and high resolution observation capabilities on top of delivering a 3D map of the planet.
“This program, which is already attracting significant interest in today’s geopolitical context, showcases our commitment to technological, industrial, and commercial innovation,” he said.