Its main purpose was to intercept HF radio signals for French intelligence services.

[1] With a mass of 50 kg, it was launched by an Ariane 4 rocket from Kourou in French Guiana at 17:23 UT, 7 July 1995.

[2][3] The collision tore off a 2.8-2.9 metre (9.2-9.5 foot) portion of Cerise's gravity-gradient stabilization boom, which left the satellite severely damaged and tumbling with a limited attitude control system.

Novel magnetic control algorithms were used to re-stabilise the otherwise undamaged microsatellite to regain almost full operational mission capability.

[4][5][6] The Naval Space Operations Center detected a minor perturbation in the orbit of the debris of the Ariane rocket.