In accordance with the defense space strategy, published in 2019, the Military Programming Law [LPM] 2024-30 makes the development of means of action in space a priority. And this first involves renewing surveillance capabilities, with the replacement of the GRAVES system [Grand Réseau Adapté à la VEille Spatiale] by the Aurore radar, which will allow Space Command [CdE] to “see certain things that our European partners do not see”, according to General Jérôme Bellanger, the Chief of Staff of the Air & Space Force [CEMAAE].
Then, as part of the ARES program [Action et résilience spatiale]it is a question of developing a “command and control” capacity [C2] dedicated to space operations. This project, called Astreos, must rely on a supercomputer for the massive processing of space surveillance data. It will be implemented by the CDE Space Operations Command, Control, Communication and Computing Center [C4OS] from 2025.
The challenge is to be able to catalog the 50,000 to 60,000 space objects in orbit, to identify possible malicious actions with the support of artificial intelligence and, if necessary, to be able to counter an attack in space.
Hence the need to have means of intervention. Thus, LPM 2024-30 provides for the development of two laser demonstrators, namely BLOOMLASE [aveuglement des satellites d’observation adverses depuis le sol] and FLAME [capacité de neutraliser un satellite en orbite au moyen d’une arme à énergie dirigée].
In addition, as part of the EGIDE project [Engin géodérivant d’intervention et de découragement]the General Directorate of Armaments conducts the YODA programs [Yeux en Orbite pour un Démonstrateur Agile]which aims to place two “patrol-watcher” nano-satellites in a near geostationary orbit, and ALLATIS [Test en Orbite d’Utilisation de Techniques d’Action contre les Tentatives d’ingérences Spatiales] for operations in low orbit.
But it is a question of going further. Indeed, on November 18, the Defense Innovation Agency [AID] notified the Dark company, a specialist in space defense, of the task of carrying out the “Salazar” study. This involves simulating, “via a set of digital models” that it has developed, missions to “capture dangerous space objects in low orbit”.
“The solution developed by Dark is designed to ensure space defense missions in emergency situations with high operational availability. It has a multi-stage space access system capable of quickly reaching a specific point in orbit, while bypassing weather constraints and certain types of orbital transfers. Its final stage is equipped with a robotic module dedicated to target capture,” develops the AID in its press release.
For his part, Dark specifies that the simulation requested of him must reproduce “all the stages of the operation of Interceptor, the first emergency system” that it developed to “capture dangerous objects” in orbit.
And added: “The Salazar simulation coordinates various digital models which trace the operational progress of Interceptor, from the ground preparation phase to the interception, capture, and return of the object from orbit . Salazar not only offers future users a vision of potential results, but also allows future technologies to be adapted based on this feedback.”
The Salazar study will make it possible to “test the feasibility of transferring and maneuvering payloads in orbit, thus contributing to the missions of characterizing critical situations as well as to surveillance and response operations in the face of possible attempts at interference space” specifies the AID. It mainly aims to prepare an intervention capability in low orbit for after 2030.
Photo : DARK
