Thales has announced a contract from France’s Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) to develop and deploy a new ground-based radar system designed to track satellites and debris in low Earth orbit, the company stated.
The radar, named AURORE, is part of France’s ARES programme (Action and Space Resilience) and will provide real-time surveillance of multiple objects in space simultaneously.
Thales said AURORE will be the largest and most advanced space surveillance radar system in Europe and will enhance France’s capacity to monitor and assess the space environment amid growing military competition in orbit.
Developed and built at Thales’ site in Limours, the radar will draw on the company’s experience in air and space surveillance and benefit from contributions by several French small and medium-sized enterprises.
The system is software defined and operates in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band, providing continuous monitoring, high responsiveness, and high-resolution imagery of low Earth orbit.
Thales described AURORE as modular and adaptable, serving as the foundation for a new generation of UHF radars that could also support ballistic missile defence and counter hypersonic applications.
“With AURORE, the only radar of its kind in Europe, Thales is contributing to French sovereignty by strengthening its capabilities for monitoring the space environment at low orbits,” said Patrice Caine, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer. “AURORE demonstrates, once again, Thales’ leadership in the field of air and space surveillance systems.”