France In Space #216

** 1: INTERNATIONAL SPACE SYMPOSIUM IN TOULOUSE

From September 10 to 13, CNES (French Space Agency) and the City of
Toulouse hosted the International Space Symposium, first created by the
Space Foundation in the United States. For the first time the event took
place in Europe, after having been hosted for the last three years in
Washington, DC. Co-organized by Space News and a wide variety of space
agencies and organizations worldwide, the International Space Symposium
consisted of five sessions focusing on industrial and commercial
strategies, including case studies, panel discussions, conferences,
meetings and an exhibition.
[CNES Press Release, 09/09/2002]

** 2: ONE OF THE LAST ARIANE 4 LAUNCHES

On September 6, Arianespace successfully orbited its 22nd Intelsat
satellite, continuing the 20-year-long relationship with this key customer.
Flights 154’s payload was Intelsat 906, the latest Intelsat IX-series
spacecraft for the international operator’s broadcaster, Internet,
telephone and corporate network services. Flight 154 marked the 114th
launch of an Ariane 4 and one of the final missions for Ariane 4, as
Arianespace nears the phase out of this launch family in favor of the new-
generation Ariane 5. Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall announced that the
next Arianespace mission would take place in two months time. Ariane 5 will
carry Eutelsat’s HotBirdTM 7 direct broadcast satellite along with France’s
Stentor technology demonstrator spacecraft from CNES (French Space Agency).
The upcoming mission will mark the service entry for Arianespace’s,
increased performance Ariane 5, which has a 10 metric ton payload lift
capacity into geostationnary transfer orbit. On the Arianespace website
(www.arianespace.com), the Ariane launches can now be watched live.
[Arianespace Press Release, 09/06/2002]

** 3: THE SUPER JUMP

Michel Fournier, 58, will parachute jump from the high stratosphere in
September should meteorological conditions allow it. In a 3 meter-high
pressurized basket of 1.1 meters in diameter, attached to a helium-blown
balloon, Michel Fournier will slowly reach 40,000 meters of altitude. While

jumping, 200 sensors placed on his body will enable people on the ground to
monitor his body’s behavior during the fall. For the first time in history,
a man in free fall will break the sound barrier. If everything goes as
planned, Michel Fournier should break four world records: the highest
altitude jump, the highest altitude reached by a man in a balloon, the
longest free fall time, and the fastest speed with breaking of the sound
barrier.
[La Montagne, 09/01/2002 and Le Monde, 09/07/2002]

** 4: THE RESEARCH BUDGET IS SHRINKING

In France, funds allocated to the research sector will decrease by 1.3% in
2003. This 115 million Euro cut will also mean the firing of some 50
employees. During the presidential campaign, Jacques Chirac (as well as
Lionel Jospin) had promised a “national mobilization plan for research and
innovation”. They suggested that 3% of the GDP be dedicated to research in
2010, compared to 2.15% in 2002. To do so in accordance with the
commitments France made in March 2000 during the European summit in Lisbon,
public funding should be increased by at least 4% each year. Roger-Gérard
Schwartzenberg, former research minister and predecessor of Claudie
Haigneré, had planned the creation of 300 jobs (200 in 2004). According to
him, challenging such measures could cause a brain drain and could deprive
France of young and successful researchers.
[Le Figaro, 09/06/2002 and Liberation, 09/09/2002]

** 5: STUDENTS ARE TESTING WEIGHTLESSNESS

Within the “Education and Outreach” program of the European Space Agency
(ESA), Novespace is organizing the fifth parabolic flight campaign
dedicated most particularly to European students. This campaign follows, as
usual, the bid for tender aiming at European students, giving them the
opportunity to embark on a scientific or educational experiment aboard the
A300 ZERO-G. 32 experiments of 128 students have been carried out between
September 3 and 12 aboard the A300 ZERO-G from the Novespace facilities in
Bordeaux-Mérignac (France). The full description of the various experiments
may be required at the Novespace facilities. Novespace, who originates the
program, is in charge of the modification of the A300 ZERO-G and is taking
care of the organization, commercialization and preparation of the
parabolic flight campaign. CNES, sponsor of the program, is with ESA,
bankrolling the use of the plane.
[Press Release, 09/04/2002]

** 6: IN BRIEF

On Friday September 13, the French CNES (French Space Agency) astronaut,
Philippe Perrin and his American teammates, Franklin Chang-Diaz, Paul S.
Lockhart and Kenneth D. Cockrell, were in Paris to share their experience
bringing with them wonderful pictures and videos taken back from the
International Space Station. The STS-111 mission left from Cap Kennedy in
June 2002 aboard the American Endeavour Launcher and reached the ISS where
they stayed for a 2-week period [CNES, 09/03/2002].

[From Arianespace Press Release, CNES Press Release, La Montagne, Le
Figaro, Le Monde, Liberation]