Ukraine and France Team Up to Launch Satellite Constellation
Ukraine and France signed an agreement in Lviv to create a consortium for the deployment of a constellation of satellites that will provide Ukraine with sovereign access to space observation data.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Militarnyi.
Ukrainian and French companies have agreed to create a joint consortium that will work on launching a group of small intelligent satellites.
The signing took place on September 27 in Lviv during the IT Arena event. The main goal of the project is to provide Ukraine with sovereign access to space observation data and to develop a modern Newspace ecosystem modeled on France.
A special feature of the future satellite constellation will be the ability to obtain data 100 times more frequently than within the European Copernicus program.
It will provide complete technological and operational independence — from sensor to user — as well as the creation of a single digital platform for integrating information from various sources. Due to its modular architecture, the system will allow for the gradual expansion of Ukraine's industrial capabilities in the space sector.
On the Ukrainian side, the New Energy of Ukraine Alliance, which brings together companies from the defense, space, and IT sectors, including First Contact and the Advanced Rocket Engine Laboratory, has joined the project.
France is represented by Prométhée, a company known for its work in developing and operating nanosatellites. The agreement was signed in the presence of French diplomats, representatives of investment structures, and officials, underscoring the strategic importance of this cooperation.
Ukraine plans to form Space Forces by the end of 2025, and the Ministry of Defense has already created a space policy department to coordinate the work of state and private companies and scientists. The defense ministry will be the main customer for space technology and services, and by 2030, the country plans to have national satellites for defense, an air alert system, and space monitoring.
As The Gaze informed earlier, non-EU countries, including the United Kingdom, Norway, and Ukraine, may be allowed to join the European Union’s secure satellite communications network, IRIS², which aims to provide a strategic alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink.