View source for Helios 2 (satellite)

{{Short description|2000s European military observation satellites}}
{{About|the Multinational military satellites||Helios 2 (disambiguation)}}
The '''Helios 2''' system, which consists of the '''Helios 2A''' and '''Helios 2B''', is a French-developed military [[Earth observation satellite]] program.<ref>{{cite web|date=October 14, 2004|title=HELIOS II, A New Generation of Military Satellites|url=https://cnes.fr/en/web/CNES-en/2743-helios-ii-a-new-generation-of-military-satellites.php|publisher=CNES|access-date=December 4, 2022|archive-date=December 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204190205/https://cnes.fr/en/web/CNES-en/2743-helios-ii-a-new-generation-of-military-satellites.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> Financed at 90% by [[France]], the development also involved minor participation from [[Belgium]], [[Spain]], [[Italy]] and [[Greece]].<ref>{{cite report|title=ESPI Report 72 -: Europe, Space and Defence - Full Report|publisher=European Space Policy Institute|date=February 2020|page=22|access-date=December 4, 2022|url=https://www.espi.or.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ESPI-Public-Report-72-Europe-Space-and-Defence-Full-Report.pdf}}</ref> Helios 2A was launched on 18 December 2004 by an [[Ariane 5]] rocket from [[French Guiana]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Helios 2A, Launch Successful|date=December 20, 2004|url=https://www.satellitetoday.com/uncategorized/2004/12/20/helios-2a-launch-successful/|publisher=Via Satellite|access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

Helios 2B  was launched five years later, on 18 December 2009, carried also by an Ariane 5. The two satellites are identical.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnes.fr/web/CNES-en/2744-helios.php |title=Cnes : Helios |access-date=2004-12-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504025901/http://www.cnes.fr/web/CNES-en/2744-helios.php |archive-date=2009-05-04 }}</ref> They carry a [[Thales Alenia Space|Thales]]-built high-resolution visible and thermal infrared instrument with 35&nbsp;cm resolution,<ref name="spacenewsHelios"/> and an [[Airbus Defence and Space|Airbus]]-built medium-resolution instrument.<ref name="CNES"/> The Helios 2 satellite bus is nearly identical to the platform built by EADS Astrium for the [[Spot 5]] civil-commercial optical observation satellite.<ref>{{cite news|title=France's Helios 2A Recon Satellite Produces First Images|date=June 29, 2004|url=https://spacenews.com/frances-helios-2a-recon-satellite-produces-first-images/|publisher=[[Space News]]|access-date=December 4, 2022|first=Peter B.|last=de SELDING}}</ref>

The Helios 2 will be replaced by the [[Composante Spatiale Optique]] (CSO), a new French program of three military observation satellites. The first satellite (CSO-1) was launched on 15 December 2018, the second (CSO-2) on 29 December 2020, with the final launch (CSO-3) being scheduled for 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last=Parsonson |first=Andrew |url=https://europeanspaceflight.com/ariane-6-anomaly-will-have-no-consequence-on-upcoming-missions/ |title= Ariane 6 Anomaly Will Have "No Consequence" On Upcoming Missions |work=European Spaceflight |date=10 July 2024 |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |url=https://spacenews.com/esa-sets-mid-2024-date-for-first-ariane-6-launch/ |title=ESA sets mid-2024 date for first Ariane 6 launch |work=[[SpaceNews]] |date=30 November 2023 |access-date=30 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=CSO-2 Satellite in Orbit|date=29 December 2020|url=https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press-release/cso-2-satellite-orbit|publisher=Thales Group|access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [[Hélios 1B|Hélios 1, the previous generation]]
* [[Composante Spatiale Optique|CSO, the follow-on system]]

==References==
<references>
https://helios.cnes.fr/en/helios-0 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405211714/https://helios.cnes.fr/en/helios-0 |date=2023-04-05 }}
<ref name="CNES">{{cite web|url=https://helios.cnes.fr/en/helios-0|date=March 5, 2019|title=HELIOS|publisher=CNES|access-date=December 4, 2022|archive-date=April 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405211714/https://helios.cnes.fr/en/helios-0|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="spacenewsHelios">{{cite news|url=https://spacenews.com/32557french-helios-2b-spy-sat-sends-back-first-test-images/ |title=French Helios 2B Spy Sat Sends Back First Test Images
|first=Peter B. |last=de Selding|date=January 4, 2010|publisher=[[Space News]]|access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>
</references>

==External links==
{{Rest of the World Reconnaissance Satellites}}

[[Category:Reconnaissance satellites of France]]
[[Category:Satellites of Spain]]
[[Category:Satellites of Italy]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 2004]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 2009]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched by Ariane rockets]]
[[Category:Military equipment introduced in the 2000s]]


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