French space program
Encyclopedia
The French
space program includes both civil and military
spaceflight activities.
The French space program dates from 1961, when President Charles de Gaulle
created the Centre National d' Etudes Spatiales (CNES
) to coordinate French space activities. Development of France's first carrier rocket, the Diamant
, began in 1962.
The French space budget
, although stagnant since the early 2000s in constant euro
s, remains in absolute terms the largest of the member countries of the European Space Agency
(ESA). In 2004, this budget stood at 1.698 billion euros, with 685 million being transferred to the ESA for the programs conducted under its supervision.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
space program includes both civil and military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
spaceflight activities.
The French space program dates from 1961, when President Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
created the Centre National d' Etudes Spatiales (CNES
CNES
The is the French government space agency . Established under President Charles de Gaulle in 1961, its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defence and Research...
) to coordinate French space activities. Development of France's first carrier rocket, the Diamant
Diamant
The Diamant rocket was the first exclusively French expendable launch system and at the same time the first satellite launcher not built by either the USA or USSR. As such it is the main predecessor of all subsequent European launcher projects...
, began in 1962.
The French space budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
, although stagnant since the early 2000s in constant euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s, remains in absolute terms the largest of the member countries of the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
(ESA). In 2004, this budget stood at 1.698 billion euros, with 685 million being transferred to the ESA for the programs conducted under its supervision.