Ukrainian Space: French and Ukrainian Companies Sign Agreement to Create Satellite Constellation

Ukrainian and French companies have signed a cooperation agreement in the field of space technologies, which involves the creation of a satellite constellation.

The First Contact company announced this in a press release.

The document was signed on September 27 in Lviv during the IT Arena event. The agreement envisions the formation of a national consortium to launch a constellation of small intelligent satellites that will provide Ukraine with sovereign access to space observation data.

Work on building a modern Newspace ecosystem based on the French model has been ongoing for over a year.

Its main objective is to create a consortium capable of deploying a Ukrainian constellation of Earth observation satellites with a high data refresh rate.

A key feature of this project is the ability to conduct observations one hundred times more frequently than under the Copernicus program, along with complete technological and operational sovereignty, from sensor to end-user. The project also includes a unified digital platform for consolidating data from various sources and a modular architecture that will allow Ukraine to gradually expand its industrial capacity.

On the Ukrainian side, the leading participant is the New Energy of Ukraine Alliance, which brings together companies from the defense, space, and IT sectors. Among them are the defense manufacturer First Contact and the Advanced Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

France is represented by the company Prométhée, which specializes in the development and operation of nanosatellite constellations for Earth observation.

The signing ceremony was attended by Pierre Helbronn, Special Representative of the President of France for Ukraine’s Reconstruction, Nicolas Dufourcq, CEO of the state investment bank Bpifrance, representatives of the French Embassy, and project partners.

The signing in Lviv formalized the shared commitment of Ukrainian and French partners to develop a space project that is critically important for the country.

It was recently announced that Ukraine plans to establish Space Forces by December 31, 2025 – a goal outlined in the government’s action program.

Back in March, the Ministry of Defense created the Space Policy Directorate. Its purpose is to unite state and private companies, as well as space industry researchers, to coordinate efforts with the Defense Forces.

The Ministry of Defense plans to become the primary customer of space technologies, products, and services in Ukraine.

By 2030, Ukraine aims to have its own national satellites for defense purposes, as well as an air raid warning system and space domain awareness capabilities.