Thales has landed a contract with France’s Defence Procurement Agency to develop and deploy AURORE, a radar system that will monitor satellites and debris in low Earth orbit.
Part of the Action and Space Resilience program, AURORE is intended to boost France’s and Europe’s ability to safeguard their space assets amid the growing militarization of orbit.
The system will provide real-time tracking and deliver continuous coverage from Earth, enhancing space situational awareness and supporting military decision-making.
Once fielded, AURORE will become Europe’s “largest space surveillance radar,” offering what Thales described as “unprecedented detection capabilities” for military and defense customers.
It will also reportedly help advance technological autonomy and operational sovereignty, two top priorities for European defense planners.
Production will be carried out at Thales’ Limours facility, with several French small and medium-sized enterprises contributing to the project.
Modular Radar for Tomorrow’s Threats
AURORE operates in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band and is fully software-defined, allowing rapid adaptation to evolving activity in low Earth orbit.
It can generate a high-resolution, real-time picture of the space environment to support situational awareness and early warning.
Its modular design lays the groundwork for a wider family of UHF radars, adaptable to multiple missions, including defense against ballistic and hypersonic threats.
By combining high responsiveness, scalability, and advanced tech, AURORE represents a major leap in Europe’s ability to detect, track, and interpret the space environment.
“With AURORE, the only radar of its kind in Europe, Thales is contributing to French sovereignty by strengthening its capabilities for monitoring the space environment at low orbits,” said Patrice Caine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Thales.
“AURORE demonstrates, once again, Thales’ leadership in the field of air and space surveillance systems.”
