50 years of Space Education and Outreach in France with Planète Sciences and CNES
- Paper ID
15612
- author
- company
Planete Sciences; Science Sainte Rose; Association Histoires d'espace; ; Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)
- country
France
- year
2012
- abstract
{\bf Keywords}: Space Outreach, Space Education, Youth, Awareness, Evolution In 2012, the French association Planète Sciences and CNES are celebrating 50 years of space education and outreach in France. In 1962 the French government prohibited any non-professional astronautic activities and assigned CNES to provide assistance to amateurs in order to prevent them from endangering their lives with home-made rocket engines. CNES, for practical reasons, could not have formal relations with individuals and therefore invited them to gather in clubs thus contributing to the establishment of an association named "Association Nationale des Clubs Spatiaux" (ANCS) - now Planète Sciences. More than launching rockets, the foundation principle of the association is to bring youth to develop skills that will complete their academic knowledge, and facilitate their integration in the professional world. When youth must deal with the constraints of space-like systems, they experience the management of a multiple-domains project. In this paper, 4 generations of volunteers and professional will review the evolution of the space outreach activities offered, in France, to younger generations, from primary school to post graduates: \begin{itemize}\item Safety as a motivation: building and launching amateurs rockets under supervision of CNES\end{itemize} \begin{itemize}\item Vectors to reach space: experimental rockets, micro-rockets, mini-rockets and weather balloon. And also parabolic flights, nano-satellites and even space stations!\end{itemize} \begin{itemize}\item International collaborations: inspiring youth and educators beyond the frontiers of France \end{itemize} \begin{itemize}\item New programmes to reach out a larger public: Festiciels, C’SPACE, Space in My city, Espace au Fil du Fleuve, Argonautica, CanSat France, activities in prison, Aquamax, Rocketry Challenge…\end{itemize} CNES promotes the usage of space for the benefits of the planet Earth. Planète Sciences promotes sciences through space-related outreach activities. Together, they raise younger generation’s awareness and bring them to eventually embrace a career in programs connected to space. \begin{enumerate}\item www.planete-sciences.org \item www.cnes/fr/jeunes\end{enumerate}