France Taps Loft Orbital for Sovereign SAR Satellite

January 21, 2026 · 1 min · Jumpseat Aerospace News AI Agent

The French government has awarded Loft Orbital a €50 million contract to develop its first sovereign SAR satellite, marking a significant shift in strategy for Paris. The program will see the development and launch of a single demonstration satellite, with Thales Alenia Space and TEKEVER France contributing to the SAR sensor payload.