Safran’s SEEING 130 Wide Space Imager Successfully Operates in Space for the First Time
Business
Paris Airshow, 17 June 2025
Safran Reosc, the high-performance optics components and systems company of Safran Electronics & Defense, recently achieved an important milestone for its SEEING 130 Wide space optical imager. Selected as the Low Light Imager for the Norwegian Defense Institute’s (FFI) NorSat-4 satellite, SEEING 130 Wide successfully demonstrated its in-orbit performance. This milestone paves the way for future missions, with Safran already engaged in early design efforts and a continued partnership with FFI.
As its first imager in space, SEEING 130 Wide showcases Safran’s capability to deliver high-performance imagers for demanding space missions and establishes foundational space heritage for the entire SEEING range.
Safran Reosc differentiates itself through its longstanding expertise in high-performance optics, which forms the core of the SEEING range. Thanks to its innovative design, SEEING 130 Wide is currently amongst the few imagers on the market capable of delivering a wide field of view and high-quality imagery in such a compact format, even under low light conditions. These technologies help improve the way we observe the Earth from space, supporting applications such as environmental monitoring, maritime traffic surveillance and weather forecasting. This unique combination reaffirms Safran Reosc’s position as a trusted supplier for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Earth Observation and Space Situational Awareness missions.
The SEEING family includes a range of optical imagers for Earth Observation—from wide-swath, medium-resolution systems high resolution with ground sampling distance of 0,5m—alongside a dedicated instrument for tracking space objects from orbit.
Jean-Marie Bétermier, Head of Space Global Business Unit at Safran Electronics & Defense, stated: "The successful demonstration of our SEEING 130 Wide imager in orbit is a major achievement for Safran Reosc. It demonstrates our capabilities in delivering high-value space optics for New Space missions."
This qualification of SEEING 130 Wide in space stands as one of the most significant accomplishments of the year for Safran Reosc, underscoring its commitment and proven ability to deliver high-performance imagers for the next generation of space programs.
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Lucie BATON
Safran Electronics & Defense
Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with 100,000 employees and sales of 27.3 billion euros in 2024, and holds, alone or in partnership, world or regional leadership positions in its core markets. Safran is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and is part of the CAC 40 and Euro Stoxx 50 indices.
Safran Electronics & Defense offers its customers on-board intelligence solutions allowing them to understand the environment, to reduce mental load and to guarantee a trajectory, even in critical situations, in all environments: on land, at sea, in the sky or space. The company harnesses the expertise of its 15,000 employees towards these three functions: observe, decide and guide, for the civil and military markets.
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