France orders two IRIS spy satellites from Airbus and Thales

France’s defense procurement agency, the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA), has awarded Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space a contract to build IRIS, a two-satellite system that will replace the country’s existing CSO military observation satellites.

The DGA said it awarded the contract on November 5, 2026. Airbus, which leads the industrial team, put the value at more than €1.5 billion (approximately $1.69 billion) for the entire consortium.

The contract covers the design, manufacture, and testing of both satellites, along with the user, control and image-quality ground segments. Airbus said it also includes in-orbit operations and maintenance, with work continuing until the end of the 2030s.

IRIS to replace France’s three CSO satellites by 2035

CSO French spy satellite constellation. (Credit: MIRA PRODUCTION)

IRIS, short for Instruments de renseignement et d’imagerie spatial (Space-based intelligence and imaging instruments), will replace the three CSO satellites of the Multinational Space-based Imaging System (MUSIS), launched in 2018, 2020 and 2025. The program is unrelated to IRIS², the European Union’s secure satellite connectivity constellation.

Under France’s updated 2024-2030 military programming law, the first IRIS satellite is expected to enter service around 2033, with both satellites in orbit by 2035, according to the DGA.

Thales Alenia Space said the first satellite would replace CSO-1 and CSO-2, while the second would enter service following the end of the last CSO satellite’s operational life.

Higher-resolution imagery and surveillance of objects in orbit

Comparison of daytime and nighttime satellite imagery showing aircraft parked on an apron, as observed by France’s CSO-1, CSO-2 and CSO-3 military reconnaissance satellites. (Credit: Direction du renseignement militaire)

IRIS is intended to improve both the quality of satellite imagery and the speed at which intelligence reaches military users.

According to the DGA, the satellites will be capable of imaging any point on Earth, day or night, using visible and infrared sensors at extremely high resolution. They will also be able to image objects in orbit, supporting space surveillance and the identification and characterization of potential threats.

The system will be operated by the French Air and Space Force’s Space Command (CDE), which has concentrated its military space activities at Air Base 101 in Toulouse.

Airbus and Thales split satellite and payload development

Airbus will provide both satellite platforms, a significant share of the first satellite’s payload and the ground segment. Thales Alenia Space will develop the next-generation payload for the second satellite, supply critical components for the first and contribute to the ground infrastructure.

Thales Alenia Space, which built the optical instruments for the CSO satellites, said IRIS will incorporate a large, highly stable telescope with next-generation active optics, high-speed digital sensors, AI-based image processing and infrared capabilities for nighttime observations.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Hervé Derrey, said its teams would develop “the most advanced optical instrument ever built in Europe.”

The DGA identified Lynred, Pyxalis, Sodern, Safran Reosc, and Air Liquide Advanced Technologies among the subcontractors involved.

IRIS open to international partners

France’s CSO-3 military observation satellite in orbit. (Credit: Airbus Defence and Space)

Both the DGA and Airbus said IRIS would be open to international cooperation, allowing allied countries to access the French observation system. Airbus noted that MUSIS, its predecessor, involves eight European partners.

The contract also comes as the two main industrial partners prepare for a potential consolidation of their space activities.

In October 2025, Airbus, Leonardo and Thales signed a memorandum of understanding to combine their space businesses into a single European company codenamed Project Bromo. The companies said the new entity could become operational in 2027, subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions.

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