It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of our colleague Yves Sillard, elected member of the Academy in 1995.

He was very involved in the activities of the Academy, within the Space, Defense, and European Actions committees. He also participated in the influence of our Academy, in the functions he held as Vice-President from 2001 to 2004.

After studying at the École Massillon and Polytechnique (X 1954), Yves Sillard continued his career at the École Nationale Supérieure de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ENSAé). He then joined the Centre d’Expérimentation en Vol (CEV) in Colomb-Bechar-Cazaux from 1960 to 1964. He participated in the Concorde program as a member of the General Secretariat for Civil Aviation (SGAC) from 1964 to 1965.

Yves Sillard joined CNES in 1965 and held several key positions, including Director of the Guiana Space Centre (CSG), Director of Launchers and Director General from 1976 to 1982. After leaving CNES, he directed the Centre National d’Études et d’Expérimentations Océanographiques (CNEXO) from 1982 to 1988. From 1985 to 1988 he was also national coordinator for the European EUREKA programme.

In 1989, Yves Sillard became General Delegate for Armaments until 1993. He then served as CEO of Défense Conseil International from 1994 to 1997. Finally, from 1998 to 2001, he held the position of NATO Assistant Secretary General for Scientific Affairs.

Yves Sillard left behind a lasting legacy and his impact on the space industry will continue to be felt for many years to come.

A tribute was paid to him during the session of June 15, 2023.

Yves SILLARD