CNES and ONERA step up cooperation
by CNES
| 2014/10/10 | 299 words
| AVIATION WORLD NEWS | INDUSTRY / TECHNOLOGY
A meeting of CNES and ONERA, the French aeronautics, space and defence research laboratory, took place Wednesday 8 October at CNES’s head office, attended by CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall and ONERA Chairman & CEO Bruno Sainjon. The main purpose of this meeting was to review joint projects resulting from closer cooperation between the two agencies and to establish a roadmap for the years ahead.
It was the first meeting of this kind organized since the signature in 2012 of the framework agreement governing relations between CNES and ONERA.
Cooperation between the two agencies is especially important and encompasses notably launch vehicles, orbital systems and the space environment. CNES and ONERA are also working together on the Microscope fundamental physics mission, which recently reached a key milestone with the delivery by ONERA to CNES of the T-SAGE instrument, the core of the future microsatellite designed to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
The 2012 framework agreement provides in particular for CNES/ONERA programmes of shared interest. In the field of launch vehicles, the technical steering committee that met for the first time today has decided to initiate six such programmes—effective before the end of the year—that aim to improve insight into complex phenomena impacting launcher design.
On this occasion, CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall commented: “We had a very productive meeting that will now enable us to pursue closer cooperation between CNES and ONERA, and to achieve results that will benefit the entire space sector.” ONERA Chairman and CEO Bruno Sainjon said: “The main thing to come out of this meeting for me is the need to extend the spirit of this agreement between CNES and ONERA through concrete actions, as it is by coordinating our exploratory research efforts that France and Europe will remain key players in space.”
It was the first meeting of this kind organized since the signature in 2012 of the framework agreement governing relations between CNES and ONERA.
Cooperation between the two agencies is especially important and encompasses notably launch vehicles, orbital systems and the space environment. CNES and ONERA are also working together on the Microscope fundamental physics mission, which recently reached a key milestone with the delivery by ONERA to CNES of the T-SAGE instrument, the core of the future microsatellite designed to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
The 2012 framework agreement provides in particular for CNES/ONERA programmes of shared interest. In the field of launch vehicles, the technical steering committee that met for the first time today has decided to initiate six such programmes—effective before the end of the year—that aim to improve insight into complex phenomena impacting launcher design.
On this occasion, CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall commented: “We had a very productive meeting that will now enable us to pursue closer cooperation between CNES and ONERA, and to achieve results that will benefit the entire space sector.” ONERA Chairman and CEO Bruno Sainjon said: “The main thing to come out of this meeting for me is the need to extend the spirit of this agreement between CNES and ONERA through concrete actions, as it is by coordinating our exploratory research efforts that France and Europe will remain key players in space.”
