With the recent apparition of new potential threats,missile defense has been confirmed to be of a strategicinterest all over the world. In this frame, it can not bedenied that a space based early warning (EW) segmentis mandatory.Starting from this point, and following the conclusionsof several studies conducted in France in the pastdecade, DGA/SPOTI (French Armament ProcurementAgency) has ordered early 2004 to ASTRIUM thedevelopment of the SPIRALE EW Space Demonstrator,whose main objective is to pave the way for a futureoperational EW System by in orbit validation of its keyrequirements.By providing the entire space segment, ALCATELALENIA SPACE is a major contributor to this program.This paper aims at describing the SPIRALE satellitesdesign, especially the evolution with regards to theMyriade platform induced by specific mission needs,and at presenting the current program status and theactivities still to be undertaken until the launch of thespace segment on 2008.
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