GRAVES (system)

GRAVES is a French radar-based space surveillance system, akin to the United States Space Force Space Surveillance System.

Space surveillance system

Using radar measurements, the French [Air and Space Force] is able to spot satellites orbiting the Earth and determine their orbit. The GRAVES system took 15 years to develop, and became operational in November, 2005. GRAVES is also a contributing system to the European Space Agency's Space Situational Awareness Programme.
GRAVES is a bistatic radar system using Doppler and directional information to derive the orbits of the detected satellites. Its operating frequency is 143.050 MHz, with the transmitter being located on a decommissioned airfield near Broye-lès-Pesmes at and the receiver at a former missile site near Revest du Bion on the Plateau d'Albion at. Data processing and generation of satellite orbital elements is performed at the Balard Air Complex in Paris,.