A concept graphic of Infinite Orbits’ Orbit Guard Space Domain Awareness microsatellite, released in August 2025. (Infinite Orbits)
By Tom Barton,
Published by Janes, 20 August 2025
France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) on behalf of French Space Command (Commandement de l’Espace: CDE) signed a framework agreement with French company Infinite Orbits for a surveillance microsatellite.
With an expected launch in 2027, the 100 kg Orbit Guard satellite is “capable of GEO [geostationary orbit] passive and active surveillance”, said Infinite Orbits on 12 August.
It will become part of the CDE’s Positioning and Autonomous Laser Assisted Detection in Near-space (PALADIN) framework, for “the establishment and operation of a geostationary orbit inspection and monitoring service”, said the DGA on 13 August.
The Orbit Guard uses “passive surveillance with a space-based SSA [Space Situational Awareness, also known as Space Domain Awareness (SDA)] set of sensors and active surveillance with proximity inspection capability”, said the company……
