Thales AURORE Radar Enhances European Space Surveillance Capabilities

French defense electronics giant Thales has unveiled its new ground-based space surveillance radar system named AURORE. Designed to enhance France’s and Europe’s ability to monitor low Earth orbit (LEO) activity amid growing congestion and threats in space, AURORE leverages Thales’ proven GM400α air surveillance radar architecture. The system is expected to play a key role in national and allied Space Domain Awareness (SDA) initiatives led by the French space agency CNES.

AURORE: A Dedicated Radar for Space Surveillance

AURORE—short for “Autonomous Radar for Orbital Object Recognition and Evaluation”—is a dedicated L-band radar optimized for tracking resident space objects (RSOs) in LEO. Unlike traditional air defense radars adapted for limited orbital tracking roles, AURORE is purpose-built for continuous day-night monitoring of satellites and debris up to altitudes of approximately 1,500 km.

The system is based on Thales’ Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400α), an AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar known for its long-range air surveillance capabilities. However, Thales has significantly adapted the software stack and signal processing algorithms to meet the unique demands of orbital object detection—such as high angular velocity targets crossing the field-of-view within seconds.

According to official statements from Thales and CNES representatives during the unveiling at the International Astronautical Congress 2025 in Milan, AURORE will be deployed as part of a broader French initiative to build sovereign SSA capabilities independent of U.S. or NATO data feeds.

Technical Capabilities and Tracking Performance

While detailed specifications remain classified due to military sensitivity, open-source data suggests that AURORE can detect objects with radar cross-sections as small as 0.1 m² at ranges exceeding 1,000 km. The system reportedly achieves revisit rates sufficient for catalog maintenance of over 10,000 LEO objects daily—a critical metric given the exponential rise in satellite constellations such as Starlink and OneWeb.

Key features include:

L-band AESA array: optimized for atmospheric penetration and clutter rejection
High-speed beam steering: enabling rapid target acquisition across wide azimuth-elevation sectors
Cued tracking mode: interoperable with optical telescopes or SIGINT sources
Autonomous cataloging: onboard processing allows local generation of orbital elements without external tasking

The system is also designed with modularity in mind—allowing integration into national or EU-wide SDA architectures via standardized interfaces such as CCSDS protocols or NATO STANAGs.

A Response to Strategic Threats in Orbit

The development of AURORE comes amid increasing concerns over adversarial behavior in orbit—including unregistered satellite maneuvers by China’s SJ-21 inspector satellite or Russia’s Kosmos series proximity operations platforms. France’s Ministry of Armed Forces has repeatedly emphasized the need for sovereign detection capabilities following incidents where French satellites were shadowed by foreign spacecraft without prior notification.

Aurore’s introduction aligns with France’s Defense Space Strategy published in July 2019 and reinforced by President Macron’s creation of Commandement de l’Espace (CDE)—France’s dedicated military space command under Air & Space Force authority. The radar will contribute not only to passive monitoring but also support active SDA missions such as conjunction analysis and threat attribution.

Sovereignty Through Indigenous Capability Development

The reliance on U.S.-provided SSA data via NORAD’s public catalog has long been seen as a strategic vulnerability among European defense planners. While partnerships with U.S. Space Command remain crucial, there is growing momentum within ESA member states—including Germany’s GESTRA radar program—to develop parallel indigenous sensors feeding into federated European databases like EUSST (EU Space Surveillance & Tracking).

Aurore marks a significant step toward this goal by offering an all-French solution that can be deployed domestically or exported under bilateral agreements. According to Thales officials speaking at IAC2025, discussions are already underway with several EU partners interested in co-deployment models similar to NATO’s ballistic missile defense sensor sharing framework.

Deployment Timeline and Future Evolution

The first operational unit is scheduled for deployment at a secure site near Toulouse by late 2026 under joint operation between CNES and CDE personnel. Initial testing using simulated orbital targets began earlier this year at Thales’ Limours facility—home to its advanced radar R&D center—and full-scale tracking trials are expected by mid-2026 using cooperative calibration satellites provided by CNES.

Aurore is expected to evolve through spiral upgrades including:

MIMO configurations: multi-static deployments enhancing resolution via triangulation
Synthetic aperture modes: enabling fine-grain imaging of selected RSOs
Cyber-hardened networking: secure data links using post-quantum encryption standards

The Broader Context: Militarization of Near-Earth Orbit

The unveiling of Aurore must be viewed within the larger context of growing militarization in low Earth orbit. With over 8,000 active satellites now circling Earth—and thousands more planned—the ability to discriminate between benign commercial platforms and potential dual-use systems is increasingly vital.

NATO formally declared space an operational domain in December 2019; since then multiple member states have launched their own SDA programs including Germany’s DLR-led SARA project and Italy’s COSMO-SkyMed upgrades. Aurore adds a critical sensor node that can feed into both national warning systems and multilateral threat assessment networks under EU or NATO auspices.

Conclusion: A Strategic Sensor for a Crowded Orbit

Aurore represents more than just another radar—it embodies France’s ambition for strategic autonomy in one of the most contested domains of modern warfare: outer space. By leveraging proven hardware platforms like GM400α while tailoring software stacks specifically for orbital mechanics challenges, Thales delivers a timely capability aligned with both national defense priorities and pan-European security frameworks.