Space commission

This committee is responsible for leading an in-depth discussion on the political, strategic, scientific, technological, and economic aspects of space activities in France and Europe, and for developing appropriate recommendations to be submitted to the Executive Board and then to the Academy’s General Assembly.

It will address issues such as:

• the contributions of space to the advancement of knowledge and the humanistic stewardship of the planet, including civilian space applications such as telecommunications, navigation, and geodesy, as well as Earth and environmental observation, while keeping in mind their research dimension alongside their economic dimension
• the exploration of the solar system, particularly the exploration of Mars, and the sciences of the universe, including fundamental physics
• the application of space technologies specifically designed to meet defense needs
• guaranteed access to space through launch vehicle policy and cooperation with other countries;
• the future of human presence in space, its challenges and prospects (beyond the International Space Station), drawing on Europe’s commitment to human space exploration.

It will also examine the impact of space activities as perceived by the general public and develop recommendations it deems relevant on this subject. A special partnership may be established with the Cité de l’Espace.

The “Space” Committee falls under the jurisdiction of Section 2, but will include at least one representative from each of the other sections. Each section is therefore invited to appoint its representative(s) to this committee.

The committee chair will ensure that foreign associate members who wish to contribute to these discussions are involved in this work and may invite French and European figures who are not members of the Academy of Air and Space to participate.

In accordance with Article 7 of the bylaws, legal entities will be kept informed of the committee’s activities and may be consulted or even involved in its work.

Depending on the topics under consideration, collaborative efforts may be undertaken with other academies, as has been done in the past with the Academy of Sciences on atmospheric science, or with the Academy of Marine Sciences and the Bureau des Longitudes on satellite navigation.

The “Space” Committee will draw up a tentative schedule for its work, giving priority to issues of access to space and the development of a coherent European policy on space science and applications. It will report regularly to the Executive Committee and the General Assembly on the progress of its activities. If necessary, the Executive Board and the General Assembly will provide the committee with more specific guidelines on the priorities to be adopted in its deliberations.