HeliOps Magazine

HEMERIA is a French industrial group working in space and defence. Its head office is in Toulouse, France. The group has been active in the space industry for more than 50 years. It is a long time partner of CNES, the French space agency, and of major prime contractors.

In space, HEMERIA designs, builds and supplies space systems and space vehicles for commercial, institutional and scientific customers. Its product lines include nano and micro satellite platforms, satellite equipment such as harnesses, structures and multi layer insulation, solar generators, assembly, integration and testing, and space system design.

The group makes open and pressurized stratospheric balloons. Its BalMan steerable balloon is built for long missions at very high altitude. HEMERIA signed phase 3 of the BalMan project with CNES. The company handles the design, development and manufacture of the balloon and helps fund it.

HEMERIA sells space surveillance services and data for low Earth orbit. The data come from radar sensors that use GRAVES technology, with access to the French GRAVES system and an ONERA passive receiver. The service offers an independent catalogue of more than 10,000 LEO objects and more than 150,000 measurements a day. It also includes data analysis, alerts, launch watch and monitoring of orbital manoeuvres. CNES has approved the service.

In defence, HEMERIA has worked with the French defence procurement agency DGA for many years. For over 20 years it has designed, built and supported equipment for air, land, naval and joint forces. Its customers also include internal security forces and private security firms. Product lines include trajectography systems, captive balloon surveillance systems such as Jackdaw, Eagle Owl and Condor, airship drones, electronic system maintenance, and energy conversion and storage.

The group has signed a partnership with Astroscale France to build a sovereign capability in geostationary orbit. It has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Safran AI for electromagnetic intelligence sensors on stratospheric balloons. A partnership with ABB covers space surveillance payloads on HEMERIA satellite platforms. The European Space Agency has contracted HEMERIA for a nano satellite space weather mission. A French fund, FCDE, has entered exclusive negotiations to become the majority shareholder.

The group has operational sites in Toulouse, Angoulême, Ayguesvives, Villebon-sur-Yvette and La Seyne-sur-Mer. Its contact form lets visitors send a message and upload a CV. The website also has career and media pages.

Services

• Nano and micro satellite platforms
• Stratospheric balloons
• Satellite equipment
• Solar generators
• Assembly, integration and testing
• Space system design
• Space surveillance data and services
• Trajectography systems
• Captive balloon surveillance
• Energy conversion and storage