Space

Morocco and optical reconnaissance

Morocco contracted with Astrium Satellites and Thales Alenia Space of France to provide a high-resolution optical reconnaissance system. A name has not yet been published. The satellites are likely based on the upgraded versions of the French Pléiades-HR earth observation satellites, similar to the UAE's Falcon Eye satellites. According to French sources Morocco purchased two military observation satellites from the consortium Astrium (Airbus Space Systems) and Thales Alenia Space (TAS). The Thales share of the contract valued at around 300 million euros ($410 million).

During French President Hollande's official visit to Rabat in April 2013, two observation satellites and reconnaissance were purchased for Airbus and Thales alenia space, against an amount, including launch, estimated at 500 million euros. The launch, which was to take on board the Russian Soyuz was abandoned by Moroccan authorities, as a ripple effect of sanctions from the US government against Russia, following its incursion in Ukraine. The Moroccan system will be launched on two Vega rockets in 2017 and 2018 under a launch contract announced in early January 2014 by the Arianespace commercial launch consortium, which at the time declined to disclose the end customer.

In 2014 the government of Morocco launched an Industrial Acceleration Plan, aimed at boosting the country’s economy and creating a new, modernized industrial sector. The plan, which is being implemented over the period of 2014 to 2020, is expected to create half a million industrial jobs during that time. One major part of the acceleration plan is the further development of Morocco’s aerospace industry.

Pleiades is an optical observation system consisting of two identical satellites that will supply products to 50 cm resolution. Operated on a phased orbit, it will benefit from a daily revisit capacity anywhere in the world both for civil applications and military.

This system is based on smaller satellites, more economical and more agile than their predecessors - the series of SPOT satellites - which ensured uninterrupted service since 1986 and whose platform is used for almost all European programs for Earth observation in low Earth orbit (including ERS, Envisat, MetOp and Helios). Pleiades integrates innovative technologies, such as gyroscopic actuators that will be carried for the first time in Europe, providing unprecedented performance. The two Pleiades satellites constitute the optical component of the Franco-Italian observation system Orfeo, for civilian and military (Italy providing radar-component COSMO-SkyMed). the program is developed under the responsibility of CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales). Astrium is prime contractor for the design, development, construction and delivery of two satellites.