U-Space (France) and Tenchijin (Japan) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the deployment of a next-generation infrared Earth observation space system. The signing ceremony took place today during the bilateral sequence of the International Space Summit in Paris, officially cementing a commercial and technological alliance between the two NewSpace actors.

This agreement reflects a strong international momentum for the French and Japanese space sector, following a long tradition of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. It stands as a direct, operational outcome of the bilateral agreements signed this past April between the French Space Agency (CNES) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Under this partnership framework, both entities will leverage their respective expertise:

• U-Space will act as the industrial prime contractor, responsible for the end-to-end design, manufacturing, and delivery of the next-generation space system and future constellation.
• Tenchijin will operate and use the system to commercialize high-resolution, high-frequency thermal data and related value-added services.

The land surface temperature (LST) data generated by this infrared constellation is increasingly vital for global markets, providing critical insights for infrastructure monitoring, water resource management, agricultural optimization, and proactive climate risk mitigation.

“This partnership is a major milestone for U-Space. It not only demonstrates the capacity of the French NewSpace ecosystem to partner beyond Europe but also validates our ability to act as a prime industrial contractor for ambitious, high-impact international constellations. Working alongside Tenchijin allows us to build a space system that directly answers today’s most pressing environmental and infrastructural challenges.”

— Thomas Pfister, CEO, U-Space

“Our journey began on the ground, using satellite data to find invisible water leaks beneath cities across Japan. The Memorandum of Understanding we have signed with U-Space takes us to the next stage: our own infrared constellation, designed from day one around the data our customers need. The value of space lies in what it delivers back to Earth — and together with U-Space, we will bring high-frequency thermal insight to challenges the world can no longer postpone, from aging water infrastructure to food security and climate adaptation, showing that Japan and France can lead the next chapter of the commercial space economy together.”

— Yasuhito Sakuraba, CEO, Tenchijin