Proteus (satellite)

PROTEUS PROTEUS platform or series is the name of a French satellite bus for small satellites. PROTEUS is an abbreviation of Plate-forme Reconfigurable pour l' Observation, les Télécommunications et les Usages Scientifiques, or about variable platform for observation, telecommunications and scientific use. PROTEUS is designed for satellites from 500 to 700 kg Starting Weight, orbiting the Earth for at least three years in low orbits.

The development of the PROTEUS platform was initiated in 1996 by the French space agency CNES. The aim was to develop a cost-effective platform for - to provide space applications - possibly new. The development of the PROTEUS series took place together with its initial application, the small satellite Jason 1 Flexible configuration options allow various scientific as well as commercial applications.

The development of PROTEUS was in jointly provided by CNES and Alcatel teams. Alcatel developed the platform and the satellite, while CNES main producer of satellites used for their own purposes remained.

Jason 1 was launched on 7 December 2001. The satellite was able to prove now that the PROTEUS series can maintain the required three years of functioning in orbit. Other systems are based on the platform Jason 2 and the space telescope COROT. Building on the experience began CNES PROTEUS- 1998 with the development of the myriad platform for small satellites.