Simera Sense France, a 100% subsidiary of Belgium-based Simera Sense, has designed and built a new Space Situational Awareness (SSA) camera for next-generation space-based space situational awareness (SB-SSA) missions.
- The new product combines high sensitivity, 360° field of view, and low size, weight and power (SWaP) consumption, low data throughput making it well suited as an autonomous hosted payload on any satellite constellation without interfering with the main mission of the satellite.
- The camera is a commercial off-the shelf (COTS) product based on space proven baseline product enabling a low-risk integration to any satellite platform.
- Simera Sense says the product launch is a major step forward in growing its manufacturing and production capabilities in Europe with France focusing on SSA.
- In line with this, the announcement aligns with Europe’s growing emphasis on space security, resilience, and safeguarding critical space assets, at the heart of Simera Sense’s strategic investment in Europe.
TOULOUSE, FRANCE, 5 May 2026 — Simera Sense has launched SSA Scape100 Full Motion, a next-generation imaging system designed to enable real-time space situational awareness and in-orbit security operations.
Designed and manufactured in Toulouse, SSA Scape100 Full Motion builds on Simera Sense’s space-proven flagship product xScape100 optical camera. This new product is equipped with a steerable mechanism allowing full-motion observation at 360° and upgraded firmware to increase sensitivity and to support efficient real-time calculations for SSA.
Simera Sense has signed over 200 different contracts for more than 50 different customers, of which 82 per cent are NATO members. The launch comes as governments and operators are putting ever-greater emphasis on protecting satellites, understanding activity in orbit and improving resilience in an increasingly congested and contested space environment.
As a result, the SSA Scape100 Full Motion is built on the proven xScape100 camera platform, which has established space heritage through more than 35 payloads currently in orbit, with its electronics accumulating over 840,000 operational hours in space. This new product has been engineered for low size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements as well as low data rates.
The product is a cost-efficient, mission-ready solution designed for low-risk integration into existing and next-generation satellite platforms, ideally suited for hosted payload missions across proliferated constellations.
The system offers a unique balance of high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. Thanks to its wide 95mm aperture, with sensitivity down to 10-12.5 visual magnitudes, the camera is optimized for detecting and tracking faint objects in challenging orbital environments. Its 2-arcsecond instantaneous field of view (IFoV) and ability to identify objects with a resolution of 10 cm at 10 km distance supports detailed space object characterisation during close proximity encounters, including threat assessment related to noncooperative or hostile Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO).
By extension, thanks to the steerable characteristic of the camera allowing a 360° field of regard, the primary mission of the platform is to detect, track and catalogue Resident Space Objects (RSO), contributing directly to the safety and security of space operations. From single payload to constellation wide coordinated operations, the SSA Scape100 Full Motion offers high revisit rates over global RSO population or persistent tracking over specific assets of interest. Beyond routine monitoring, the system provides high-resolution imaging capabilities that support critical space asset protection and anomaly assessment. These capabilities leverage Simera Sense’s extensive Earth Observation optical heritage, ensuring a mission ready, trusted solution for next generation Space-based SSA needs.
Kammy Brun, Managing Director, Simera Sense France, said: “We all know that NATO and Europe are calling for resilience and autonomy in space infrastructure. Across Europe, demand is growing for SSA, however, there is still a gap where we do not yet have operational space-based SSA solutions, and SSA Scape100 Full Motion is a response to that. Space operators need responsive, reliable systems that can help them understand what is happening in orbit and act with confidence. That’s what we’re delivering.”
One year after establishing its presence in Toulouse, Belgium-headquartered Simera Sense continues to expand its European footprint, with France playing a central role in its growth strategy. The company is advancing from design and R&D into full-scale manufacturing, marking a significant step in its industrialization roadmap scheduled for 2027-2028.
The SSA Scape 100 Full Motion camera will be manufactured and assembled at the company’s upcoming production facility in Toulouse, reinforcing its commitment to sovereign European capabilities. The flight model is scheduled for availability in Q2 2027, targeting early adopters through an initial IOD/IOV mission.
As a “Made-in-Europe” solution, SSA Scape 100 Full Motion underscores Simera Sense’s dedication to strengthening the European defence and security ecosystem with high-performance, mission-ready space technologies.
