PROTEUS platform
PROTEUS platform or PROTEUS 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 , i.e. a variable platform for observation, telecommunications and scientific use. PROTEUS is designed for satellites with a launch weight of 500 to 700 kg, which orbit 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 provide the cheapest possible platform for - possibly new - space applications. The PROTEUS series was developed together with its first application, the Jason 1 small satellite . Flexible configuration options allow various scientific as well as commercial applications.
The development of PROTEUS took place in teams provided jointly by CNES and Alcatel . Alcatel developed the platform and satellites, while CNES remained the main producer of the satellites used for its own purposes.
Jason 1 was launched on December 7, 2001. The satellite has meanwhile been able to prove that the PROTEUS series can maintain the required three-year functionality in earth orbit. Other systems based on the platform are Jason 2 and the COROT space telescope . Building on the PROTEUS experience, CNES began developing the Myriad platform for small satellites in 1998 .