CNES is seeking an industrial partner to develop and qualify a compact optical telescope that can be mass‑produced in volumes exceeding 1,000 units. The request for information published on 18 August specifies that the telescope must measure no more than 200 by 200 by 100 millimetres, use diamond machining for rapid production, and be built from aluminium with a reflective coating to reduce cost. The design would incorporate multiple mirrors on a single substrate and require no adjustment during assembly.

The agency says the optical concept, already defined by CNES, has reached an advanced stage and the partner would complete the design and assess performance under thermal and mechanical stresses. Demonstration activities are targeted before the end of 2026, with qualification expected in 2027 or 2028.

The project supports a range of imaging applications, including detection, surveillance and identification, and fits within CNES’s broader effort to develop smaller, lower‑cost optical systems for high‑revisit missions. The agency’s 2024 optical‑imaging technology roadmap listed compact telescopes for NewSpace missions as a priority area, a focus retained in its 2025 technical policy. While the RFI mentions dual‑use potential, it does not indicate that the telescope is intended specifically for military purposes.