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Successful Launch of CSO-3 Military Satellite Strengthening France's Space-Based Observation Capabilities.
The launch of the CSO-3 (Composante Spatiale Optique) military observation satellite marks a decisive step in the renewal of France’s space-based capabilities. On March 6, 2025, at 17:24 Paris time, the satellite was successfully placed into orbit from the Guiana Space Center using the Ariane 6 launcher. This launch completes the MUSIS (Multinational Space-based Imaging System) program, developed under the supervision of the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and the National Center for Space Studies (CNES), for the benefit of the Space Command (CDE) of the French Air and Space Force.
Artist's impression of the CSO satellite in orbit (Picture source: French MoD)
With CSO-3, France finalized the modernization of its military space-based system, which began in 2018 with the launch of CSO-1 and continued with CSO-2 in 2020. This renewal aligns with the objectives set by the Military Programming Law (LPM), which aims to equip the armed forces with enhanced surveillance and intelligence tools. Completing this program reflects France’s strategic ambition to ensure autonomy in space observation at a time when space has become a critical domain for sovereignty and security.
French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu welcomed the success of this operation, emphasizing the importance of the CSO program for national defense and its contribution to military operations. The CSO system, consisting of three satellites, provides the French armed forces with high-quality imagery, offering an optimized resolution and continuous observation capability, both day and night, in visible and infrared spectrums. This enhances target identification and the analysis of strategic areas, improving intelligence and targeting capabilities. The system’s agility and ability to capture images from multiple angles in a single pass also increase the responsiveness and adaptability of military operations, an asset in addressing emerging threats.
The MUSIS program, with CSO as its French component, is also part of a broader European cooperation initiative. Several countries have joined the CSO community through bilateral agreements, strengthening interoperability among European armed forces in satellite imagery. Since 2015, Germany and Sweden have participated in the program, followed by Belgium in 2017, Italy in 2019, Spain in 2021, Switzerland in 2023, and Poland and Greece in 2024. These agreements reflect France’s policy of sharing strategic capabilities with its partners while maintaining a leading role in space-based intelligence.
MUSIC is managed by the DGA in coordination with the CDE, which oversees all operations related to the military use of satellites. The DGA is also responsible for the development and management of the User Ground Segment (SSU), ensuring that the French armed forces and partners have seamless access to satellite imagery. The CNES, in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space, oversees the construction and deployment of the satellites. Arianespace is responsible for launch operations, ensuring the reliability and continuity of the CSO system’s deployment.
As the CSO program reaches full operational capability, France is already preparing for the future with the IRIS (Intelligence and Space-Based Imaging Instruments) program. In line with the LPM, the DGA and the CDE are working on this next-generation observation satellite system, designed to further enhance France’s military space-based capabilities. This initiative reflects France’s commitment to maintaining technological leadership in an area where information superiority has become a key factor in defense and deterrence.
The CSO-3 satellite strengthens France’s surveillance and intelligence capabilities by providing imagery with an unprecedented resolution in Europe, enabling continuous observation regardless of lighting conditions in both visible and infrared spectrums. It enhances the armed forces’ ability to detect smaller targets with greater precision, improving the effectiveness of military operations, intelligence gathering, and targeting missions. Its agility allows for improved coverage of areas of interest in a single pass, optimizing responsiveness to operational needs.
By integrating CSO-3 into the MUSIS system, France reinforces its strategic autonomy and sovereignty in space-based intelligence while strengthening cooperation with European partners. This satellite ensures the armed forces have rapid and secure access to essential data for operational planning and execution while enhancing threat monitoring. It plays a role in the broader objective of space control and information superiority in an increasingly competitive geopolitical environment.
CSO-3 holds significant strategic value in an international context marked by growing tensions, particularly with the war in Ukraine and uncertainties surrounding U.S. political decisions. The partial reduction of certain intelligence-sharing agreements with the United States, along with restrictions on the use of SpaceX’s Starlink system in conflict zones, has highlighted the need for France and Europe to develop autonomous space-based observation and intelligence capabilities. With CSO-3, France reduces its reliance on external actors for acquiring high-resolution satellite imagery, which is essential for monitoring troop movements, anticipating crises, and supporting military operations.
In an environment where information warfare and space control have become strategic challenges, the deployment of CSO-3 ensures that France maintains sovereign surveillance and analytical capabilities, independent of external decisions by partner nations or private companies. As transatlantic relations evolve, potentially affecting U.S. commitments to Europe and NATO, a national space-based intelligence system enables France to safeguard its interests and those of its European allies. In the face of emerging threats and new forms of hybrid warfare, CSO-3 represents a critical asset for national security and sovereignty.