GRAVES (system)

GRAVES (French: Grand Réseau Adapté à la Veille Spatiale) is a French radar-based space surveillance system, akin to the United States Space Force Space Surveillance System.

The GRAVES system took 15 years to develop, and became operational in November, 2005.

[3] 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 47°20′53″N 5°30′54″E / 47.3480°N 5.5151°E / 47.3480; 5.5151 and the receiver at a former missile site near Revest du Bion on the Plateau d'Albion at 44°04′17″N 5°32′05″E / 44.0715°N 5.5346°E / 44.0715; 5.5346.

Data processing and generation of satellite orbital elements is performed at the Balard Air Complex in Paris, 48°50′06″N 2°16′48″E / 48.835°N 2.280°E / 48.835; 2.280.