New Bundeswehr satellites do not work
In December, the German military, or Bundeswehr, launched three new reconnaissance satellites into space. They are supposed to collect significantly faster and better information than their predecessors. However, two of the three satellites in the SARah system are experiencing unsolved technical issues and have not been able to be used yet.
A spokesperson for the German Defense Ministry in Berlin announced that the operational commissioning of two of the three satellites in the SARah system has not been successful "due to technical limitations." The ministry also informed the parliamentary leaders.
The Bundeswehr had previously spoken of an operational partial operation of the SARah satellite system in January and explained that future reconnaissance capabilities would be significantly improved. The images would be more detailed and more quickly accessible.
The new system for worldwide imaging reconnaissance consists of three satellites. Two of them were delivered to the company OHB as the main contractor for the entire system. These were launched into orbit in December 2023 and are now causing problems. "All attempts by OHB to resolve the problems have not been successful to date," the spokesperson said. The satellites remain in the ownership of the company OHB. A third satellite was provided by Airbus Defense and Space as a subcontractor. This satellite has been in operation since October 2023.
Bundeswehr: New Satellites are Milestones
SARah stands for "Synthetic Aperture Radar," a radar imaging method that allows military reconnaissance independently of daytime and weather conditions. The transmission of the satellites to the ground station, which was often only a few hours delayed in the case of SAR-Lupe, should be accelerated through increased computing capacity and simplified through the use of additional ground stations worldwide.
The Bundeswehr spoke of a milestone after the launch of the facilities into orbit. Now, a Plan B must be worked on. "In the coming weeks, we will develop a plan together with the company OHB in case the functionality of the satellites cannot be restored," said the spokesperson for the Defense Ministry. A decision on further action will be made in the fourth quarter. He said: "The reconnaissance capability of the German military, which is satellite-supported, remains secured."
Despite the technical issues with two of the three SARah satellites launched by the German Armed Forces, commonly known as Bundeswehr, politics remains engaged in addressing the situation. The German Defense Ministry has collaborated with OHB, the main contractor for the satellite system, to resolve the issues, but efforts have yet to bear fruit.
The ongoing problems with the satellites have not derailed the Bundeswehr's broader reform plans, as a third satellite from Airbus Defense and Space has been operational since October 2023, contributing to the German military's satellite-supported reconnaissance capabilities.
