Infinite Orbits to provide French Space Command with Orbit Guard SDA satellite

A concept graphic of Infinite Orbits' Orbit Guard Space Domain Awareness microsatellite, released in August 2025. (Infinite Orbits)

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.

PALADIN fits within France's Space Action and Resilience (ARES) programme, which includes SDA, the DGA said, adding that the programme “aims to protect military satellites in the face of growing threats in space”.

Within ARES, the Orbit Guard satellite is part of up to EUR50 million (USD58 million) worth of SDA-related orbit services contracted to Infinite Orbits. Orbit Guard satellites can approach within 1 km of another asset in orbit for inspection, said Infinite Orbits.

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