The Essaim demonstrator, launched by Ariane 5 in December 2004, is a system of several micro-satellites (hence the name ‘swarm’ in French) for analysis of the electro-magnetic environment of the Earth’s surface under development for the French Ministry of Defence’s procurement agency DGA. The system also comprises a ground control segment and a ground station for data processing. The mission’s objective is to assess the operational capability of such a system, paving the way for the next generation.
The Essaim satellites are based on the Myriade micro-satellite multipurpose product line developed jointly by Astrium and the French Space Agency CNES since 1998.
In partnership with Thales Systèmes Aéroportés, Astrium delivered the complete turnkey system, including personnel training; launch services and maintenance over the three-year period of the programme.
