EO·Atlas
DESIR
Compiled from public sources on 2026-05-24. Not independently verified by Loft Orbital.
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DESIR (Demonstrateur des Elements Souverains d'Imagerie Radar) is a planned French sovereign SAR satellite programme procured jointly by CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) and DGA (Direction Generale de l'Armement). Loft Orbital was selected as prime contractor, responsible for the satellite bus based on the Longbow platform and ground control operations [1][2]. Thales Alenia Space is contracted by CNES and DGA to deliver the SAR payload and the user ground segment, with TEKEVER France participating as payload co-designer for the active antenna [3]. The contract award to Loft Orbital was valued at approximately EUR 50 million [4].
The mission is classified as demonstrating SAR imaging methodology [1] and is planned for a LEO orbit, with specific orbit type and altitude to be determined. SAR frequency band, resolution, and swath parameters had not been publicly disclosed as of the research date. Launch is planned for 2029.
Supply chain position
- [1]Loft selected as prime contractor for DESIR, Loft Orbital press releaseoperator press2026-05-24
- [2]France taps Loft Orbital to develop nation's first sovereign SAR satellite, Breaking Defensethird party2026-05-24
- [3]Thales Alenia Space selected by CNES and DGA for payload and user ground segment for DESIR, Thales Alenia Space press releaseoperator press2026-05-24
- [4]Loft Orbital Wins EUR 50M Contract to Build French SAR Sat, Payload Spacethird party2026-05-19
How to cite this page
Plain text
DESIR. EO-Atlas, SpectraWorks B.V., last reviewed 2026-05-24. https://eo-atlas.org/missions/desir (CC BY 4.0)
BibTeX
@misc{eoatlas:missions:desir,
title = {DESIR},
author = {{EO-Atlas}},
publisher = {SpectraWorks B.V.},
year = {2026},
note = {Last reviewed 2026-05-24. CC BY 4.0},
url = {https://eo-atlas.org/missions/desir}
}