Approximate orbit · France

CSO-3

APPROX

CSO-3 (NORAD 63156) is a satellite whose full orbit is not public. What is published: its height and tilt, drawn to scale, and who operates it.

Orbit

Approximate orbit, direction and position not public

777 to 780 km up · tilted 98.6° · 100.4 min a lap · as listed on 14 Oct 2026

Its height and tilt are public. Which way its orbit faces, and where it is, are not, so azmth shows no position or pass times.

Why some orbits are not public →

Diagram by azmth: size, shape and tilt to scale, from the catalogue's figures. It shows no place on Earth.

Height and tilt: CelesTrak, as listed on 14 Oct 2026

Catalogue

Country: France; From GCAT (14 Oct 2026)
Launched: 6 Mar 2025
COSPAR ID: 2025-044A
NORAD ID: 63156

Not registered with the UN (UN register, checked 30 Sep 2026).

Who operates it

MilitaryFranceActive

Optical imaging

Official description

“The CSO (Optical Space Component) satellites of the MUSIS programme (Multinational Space-based Imaging System) are military observation satellites dedicated to French Defence and its partners.”

CNES, programme page, 26 Jun 2025

azmth's translation · Show original

«Les satellites CSO (Composante Spatiale Optique) du programme MUSIS (Multinational Space-based Imaging System) sont des satellites d’observation militaire dédiés à la Défense française et à ses partenaires.»

Independent assessment

GCAT classes it as a military satellite for optical imaging, lists its owner as General Delegation for Ordnance and records it as active (14 Oct 2026).

Data: GCAT · CC BY 4.0 Class, mission and status adapted from GCAT by Jonathan McDowell, CC BY 4.0, data update 14 Oct 2026.

Military satellites, counted and explained →

CelesTrak record