On Wednesday 25 January, rediscover, or perhaps discover, John Badham’s film Short Circuit. Released in 1986, this film is emblematic of Hollywood cinema in the 1980’s and explores the possibility that a robot bestowed with artificial intelligence could acquire the status of a living being by becoming aware of itself and all that surrounds it. The problem is that Johnny 5 (the robot) was manufactured by the military and that the Pentagon has no intention of letting its investment live its life! The Cinémathèque in Toulouse is, therefore, announcing its special showing on Wednesday 25 January at 21:00 in the presence of Dominique Séguéla, specialist in formation flying at the CNES, the French Space Agency. Below is the trailer for Short Circuit.
It is worthy of note that this showing is part of a season of films entitled “L’odyssée de l’espace” (Space Odyssey) in partnership with the CNES and the Cité de l’Espace and during which several space-based films are to be scheduled, not only at Toulouse’s Cinémathèque, but also at the Cité de l’Espace, through until May 2012.
Full price: €6.50 / Reduced price: €5.50 / Under 18 years: €3 Tickets are on sale from the Cinémathèque and the Cité de l’Espace
This Wednesday 30 November rediscover, or perhaps discover for the first time, the masterpiece of film director Philip Kaufman dedicated to the beginning of American human space flight. First shown on big screens in 1983, this 195 minute-long epic based on the Mercury programme recounts with intensity, emotion and even poetry, the difficult conquest of this “new frontier” against a background of the competition with the Soviets. The Cinémathèque in Toulouse is, therefore, announcing its special showing on Wednesday 30 November at 19:30 in the presence of astronaut and test pilot, Philippe Perrin. Below is a trailer for “The Right Stuff”.
It is worthy of note that this showing is the first in a season of films entitled “L’odyssée de l’espace” (Space Odyssey) put on in partnership with the CNES and the Cité de l’Espace and during which several space-based films are to be scheduled not only at Toulouse’s Cinémathèque, but also at the Cité de l’Espace through until May 2012.
Full price: €6.50 / Reduced price: €5.50 / Under 18 years: €3 Tickets are on sale from the Cinémathèque and the “Cité de l’Espace”
Imagine a route that enables you to gather knowledge that covers the origins of the Universe and Mankind. A journey that also extends over the magnificent regions of Catalonia and the Midi-Pyrenees! This cultural and scientific route, which is not only fun but also accessible to children and adults alike, is known as La Route des Origines and unites 6 partners for the following 9 sites:
The Centre for Observing the Universe in Ager, Catalonia, Spain. Web site
The “Chantier de Fouilles Paléontologique” (Paleontological digs) in Montréal in the Gers, France which is dependent on Toulouse Museum. Web site
The Cité de l’Espace, the space adventure theme park in Toulouse, France. Web site
The “Ferme des Étoiles” in Mauroux, France, which is part of the “night stations” network and proposes quality observations of the night sky. Web site
The “Hameau des Étoiles” in Fleurance, France, an astronomy-base holiday camp (associated with the “Ferme des Étoiles”). Web site
The Pic du Midi (France) is a mythical astronomical observatory created in 1880 and perched at an altitude of 2,877 m. Web site
The Natural History Museum in the “red city” of Toulouse, France, which has recently re-opened. Web site
The Didactic Archaeological Park in Sant Llorenç de Montgai, Catalonia (Spain) which, as its name indicates, helps you to find out all about archaeology. Web site
Roca Del Bous, also situated in Sant Llorenç de Montgai, Catalonia (Spain) is a prehistoric site where there are traces of human occupation dating back to the end of the Middle Paleolithic Age (which is more than 30,000 years ago). Website
To find out more about possible dates and activities, you can consult the websites of each place or that of La Route des Origines.
French participants in “La Route des Origines” include the Cité de l’Espace, the Natural History Museum in Toulouse and the “À Ciel Ouvert” site in Fleurance, in the Gers. Spanish partners include the Centre for the Study of Archaeological and Prehistoric Heritage at Barcelona University (CEPAP-UAB), the Montsec Centre for Observing the Universe in Ager and the Historic Heritage Research and Popularisation Association in Llorenç (ARDPH). This project is financed by the European Community and the European Fund for Regional Development (FEDER). This transborder and multidisciplinary initiative is part of the Spain-France-Andorra Territorial Co-operational Operational Programme 2007-2013 (Poctefa).
The ELS launchpad for Soyouz rockets in Guyana. Credit: ESA/Stéphane Corvaja
A historic event is due to take place this Thursday 20 October: for the very first time, a Soyuz rocket is to blast off into space from outside of Russia and Kazakhstan. In fact, as a result of various agreements, the CSG, Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s spaceport, is now home to a launch pad (the ELS for Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz / Soyuz Launch Facility) built with the Russians especially for receiving this mythical rocket. Mythical, because the Soyuz-2 which is to lift-off on Thursday (and the others that are to follow) are part of a direct line from the rocket that, under the name of R-7 or Semiorka, took Yuri Gagarin up to accomplish his orbit of the Earth on 12 April 1961, thus becoming the first man in space. By blasting off from a site near to the equator, the Soyuz gains in performance and can then place 3 tonnes into geostationary transfer orbit instead of 1.7 tonnes from Baikonur Cosmodrome. This rocket complements the services provided by the European rocket Ariane 5 and its 10 tonnes and that of another future European rocket, Vega (2 tonnes in low Earth orbit).
The first Guianan Soyuz is to lift off to space this coming Thursday, 20 October at 12:34 French time (07:34 local time in Guiana).
The Cité de l’Espace invites you to follow this event live via a video retransmission. Access to the part of the Cité where the retransmission is to be shown will be free-of-charge. The timetable is as follows: -12:00: participants to be welcomed to the Cité de l’Espace -12:08: start of the video-transmission -12:34: launch of Soyuz -13:20: end of the retransmission
It should be noted that in the event of a postponement, the event will be pushed back to Friday 21 October at the same times.
For this live showing of the first Soyuz launch from the CSG, the Cité de l’Espace will be aided by its partners: the CNES (the French Space Agency) and ARIANESPACE with support from the Association Maxime and Co, Toulouse Town Council, 3AF, Ambition Toulouse 21, and Infosrusses.com.
Part of the CNES, the French Space Agency, the GEIPAN is the “Groupe d’Études des Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés” (Work Group for Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena). People have always seen phenomena in the sky. Today, our knowledge enables us explain the vast majority of them (planet, unusual shaped cloud, plane, ball lightning, re-entering satellite, etc.). However, some are more difficult to interpret and these are known as UAP or Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena (PAN in French). The French GEIPAN is therefore a structure that is tasked with collecting accounts from witnesses, analysing them, explaining them where necessary and archiving them. It also has to communicate its work to the general public for the sake of transparency, whilst respecting the anonymity of the witnesses. On Wednesday 12 October at the Cité de l’Espace, a conference entitled “Phénomènes aérospatiaux non-identifiés, le point sur les activités officielles en France” (Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena, focusing on official activities in France) will be given by Yvan Blanc who knows the subject well as he was Director of the GEIPAN up until July 2011. Cité de l’Espace - Vega room from 18:00 - 20:00 Conference free-of-charge
The town of Toulouse is putting on another edition of “La Novela - Festival des Savoirs Partagés”, its festival of shared knowledge from 7 to 23 October 2011. And this year, the space industry is in pride of place with, notably, the 25th anniversary of the SPOT satellites, its “Satellites Pour l’Observation de la Terre” (Earth Observation Satellites). Spacecraft that have their roots firmly established in Toulouse’s history since, on 22 February 1986, the launch of this family’s first satellite, logically dubbed SPOT 1, marked the beginning of the space industry in this town. Twenty five years later, the result is ten or so satellites launched, hundreds of applications, thirteen thousand jobs and thousands of pictures!
The monitoring of our planet by the SPOT satellites and other space themes are included in La Novela events and conferences in various places throughout Toulouse. There is an official La Novela website which you can consult to obtain a comprehensive list of what is to be on offer. You can also take part in a competition and win a trip to the Guiana Space Centre to watch the European Ariane 5 rocket blast off!
The Cité de l’espace is to host part of the La Novela festival. Below, you will find details of the programme that Toulouse’s space adventure theme park is putting on. All these events, as well as the Cité de l’Espace’s gardens, are to be open to the general public, free-of-charge, from 8 to 16 October 2011.
YOUNG RESEARCHERS’ DAYS - 11th edition The CNES, the French Space Agency, will be bringing young researchers that are learning the ropes (doctorands and post-doctorands) together. They are to present their work concerning tomorrow’s space techniques. You can meet them on 10, 11 and 12 October in the Véga and Sirius rooms. Monday 10 from 09:30 to 18:00 Tuesday 11 from 08:30 to 18:00 Wednesday 12 from 08:30 to 13:00
Conference: “La vie extraterrestre, entre mythes et réalités, y a-t-il de la vie ailleurs que sur Terre?” (Extraterrestrial life, between myths and reality, is there life elsewhere than on Earth?) Tuesday 11 October from 18:30 to 20:00 - IMAX auditorium By André Brack, Director of Research Emeritus at the CNRS’ Centre of Molecular Biophysics in Orléans and honorary member of NASA’s Institute of Astrobiology. He will talk about research that is currently being carried out to find a “second example of life”, even rudimentary, in the universe. A step that is essential if we hope to go further.
Space Trade Forum Friday 14 and Saturday 15 October Times: 09:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:00 Polaris and Véga rooms The Toulouse space industry provides about 13,000 jobs in a wide variety of fields. This Trade Forum enables young people in Toulouse (from secondary schools through to universities and preparatory schools) to find out all about career opportunities in the space industry.
SCHOOL WORKSHOPS Wednesday 12 October from 14:00 to 16:30 Thursday 13 October from 09:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 16:00 Sunday 16 October from 14:00 to 18:00 Polaris, Sirius rooms and in a marquee. Explanatory workshops intended above all for the 8 to 12 year olds organised by co-ordinators from Planète Sciences Midi-Pyrénées.
Build your own satellite The purpose is to understand how a satellite and its different parts operate. Carried out in two stages: - construction of a small 5-part satellite (the youngsters take their satellites home). - simulation via satellite of an emergency signal.
Earth observation Familiarisation with satellite images and finding out all about Earth observation applications as regards land use, mapping and disaster management.
Atelier localisation Safari GPS. Présentation des principes de la localisation par satellites (effet Doppler, triangulation, méridiens et parallèles, constellation de satellites). Les jeunes deviennent des scientifiques qui reçoivent les coordonnées d'animaux à retrouver sur le site.
Mapping the Earth Using a balloon that rises 30 metres into the air, pictures are put together to form a mosaic in order to give a better understanding of aerial photographs and satellite images.
HOW LOCAL AUTHORITIES (CNFPT) BENEFIT FROM THE SPACE INDUSTRY Thursday 13 October 08:30 to 17:00 - Véga room A day of informing, exchanging, questioning and illustrating using actual cases in order to find out and work out how local authorities benefit from the space industry (rural and urban planning, management of water resources, natural hazards, health and assistance for individuals, new source of information for geographical studies, etc.).
09:00: Welcoming of participants to the Cité de l’Espace
09:40: CCT Applications, space system assets: Eric Luvisutto, CNES
10:40: Institutional initiatives, Aerospace Valley
11:20: Space applications for transportation (school buses, fleet management, security, public transport, etc.), Novacom Services
11:40: Accounts from users
12:00: The space industry and health (dependence, home support services, tele-epidemiology, etc.), Dr Antonio Guell (CNES)
12:20: Accounts from users: Dispositif Medicin@pais, Dr Fabien Josseran, Deputy Manager for Health, Alpes-Maritimes Regional Council
13:40: The space industry and risk management (manufacturers, flooding, forest fires, etc.)
14:00: Accounts from users: André Montagnier (Manager of Major Risks, Tarascon) and Jean-Luc Gibert (Head of the Water and Sanitation Board, Dax)
14:20: Space applications as regards sustainable development
14:50: Accounts from users: AUAT
15:20: Need analysis exercise, Didier Treinsoutrot (MEDDTL)
15:40: Round Table. “Quelles perspectives et besoins sur les applications spatiales pour les collectivités locales?” (What are the perspectives and needs concerning space applications for local authorities?) Thierry Cotelle (CUGT), Fabien Josseran (CG06), Michel Bousquet (ISSAT/ITSA), Bastien Beley (DIRECCTE) and Marc Père (Aerospace Valley)
16:30: Conclusions with Eric Luvisutto and Michel Bousquet
CONFERENCES ON SATELLITE ISSUES Satellites are permanently orbiting our planet. They observe and examine it, transmit and receive signals used for localisation, make use of telecommunications relays, set off to explore the universe, etc. Toulouse’s businesses and laboratories are leaders in these fields. These themes are the subject of several conferences throughout the town of Toulouse, below are those taking place at the Cité de l’Espace.
Opening conference Saturday 8 October at 16:00 - Véga room Michel Courtois, Head of the SPOT 1 project, then Director of the CNES Toulouse, with input from Alexis Rigo from the OMP and Marc Tondriaux from Astrium Services. Presentation of the principles of satellites as well as their different applications as regards Earth observation, telecommunications, navigation and localisation, monitoring, data gathering, etc. Thierry Gentet, a former CNES engineer, will present a 52 minute-long film devoted to the history of seaquakes, the inventory of coasts at risk as well as the future warning centre for the Western Mediterranean Area. A discussion with the various speakers and the general public is to follow the showing of the film.
Weather satellites monitor 24H/24 Monday 10 October at 18:00 - Véga room By Sylvain Le Moal, engineer from the Météo-France (French National Meteorological Service) Space Meteorology Centre in Lannion, with input from Jean-Paul Gardelle, Head of the Metop project at Astrium Satellites.
International Charter for Space and Major Disasters: operations and activation examples Wednesday 12 October at 18:00 - Véga room By Roberto Biasutti, from the European Space Agency.
Use of space images for mapping Thursday 13 October at 18:00 - Sirius room By Dominique Lasselin, Deputy Department Head, IGN Espace, with input from Jean Dauphin, Director of the Earth Observation Programmes at Astrium Satellites.
From SPOT 1 to SPOT 7 Saturday 15 October at 17:00 - Sirius room By Philippe Couillard.
How the inland water study benefits from space techniques Sunday 16 October at 16:00 - Véga room By Anny Cazenave from OMP- LEGOS (Laboratory for Space Studies in Geophysics and Oceanography), with input from Laurent Rey from Thales Alenia Space.
LUNCHTIME ENCOUNTERS Everyday from Monday 10 to Friday 14 October between 12:30 and 13:30 In Espace 149 - Special “lunch” formula Accounts of the space adventure Witnesses, both old and new, of the space conquest talk about their experience. Encounters hosted by Philippe Droneau, Cité de l’Espace, organised with support from the French Air and Space Academy.
SPECIAL INDIAN SPACE INDUSTRY EVENING Knowledge as a development tool Saturday 15 October at 19:00 - IMAX auditorium The evening will comprise a conference-debate on the vision of Jawaharlal Nehru, who after Indian independence led the country to invest in science and knowledge for the purpose of social and economic development.
19:00: cocktail offered by Toulouse Town Council
19:45: conference on India’s choice of investing in science and the space industry for the purpose of social and economic development
20:30: Indian Bharata Natyam dance show with musicians
21:00: round table discussion on science and development
21:45: SARAL film “Espace-Poésie” (Space poetry) with poet Serge Pey
SATELLITE IMAGE QUIZ PRIZE GIVING Sunday 16 October at 15:00 in the Astralia Hall.
CABINET OF CURIOSITIES In the 18th century, it was in such a cabinet that rare or strange objects brought back from a journey or the first scientific experiments were put on show. From Saturday 8 October to Sunday 16 October - Astralia Hall Come and be astonished by a one kilo cube levitating over a Mobius strip due to the superconductivity effect.
The Cité de l’Espace in Toulouse, France, is to take part in the fourth Researchers’ Night: a science festival open to the general public as of the age of 6. Entry is free of charge.
So make a note in your diaries for Friday 23 September from 18:00 to midnight. What’s more, you can forget all your preconceived ideas regarding scientists! Here, there will be no formal lectures, no incomprehensible equations or baffling problems. Researchers’ Night at the Cité will involve meetings with men and women full of enthusiasm for their profession, experiments, discussions, documentaries, etc. All presented in a fun way in a programme that is as surprising as it is eclectic: you can move from bio fuels to medical progress whilst heading to Mars with the next rover intended to survey the red planet. Your guide for this Martian journey will be Sylvestre Maurice who is responsible for one of the onboard instruments, a laser that makes it possible to remotely analyse rocks! The complete programme can be found below
The Researchers’ corner - Plastics and glues (Maëlenn Aufray - Antoine Rouilly). - Bio fuels: microbes propel us (Sirichai Sunya - Estelle Grousseau - Maud Babau - Emilie Amillastre - Abril Ochoa-estopier - Léa Oiknine - Laurie Watterlot - Julien Cescut - Julie Bornot) - The International Year of Chemistry (Lydie Valade - Marie-Elisabeth Borredon - Françoise Viala - Cathy Paris) - 100 years of superconductivity (Nicolas Laflorencie - Pierre Pujol - Baptiste Vignolle) - Do bacteria eat? (Stéphanie Heux - Peyriga Lindsay - Edern Cahoreau) - Geography, the environment and the image bank (Franck Vidal) - From the vine to the glass: controlled fermentation (Patricia Taillandier) - Information, distortion… image processing (Hadj Batatia - Géraldine Morin) - Roman history and the history of education (Aurélie Rodes) - Flames sing and dance (Laurent Selle - Daniel Mejia) - Group behaviour, social insects and animal construction (Christian Jost) - Town images (Clara Sandrini) - Theoretical statistics (Henry Caussinus - Anne Ruiz-Gazen - Olivier Mestre - François Bergeret) - The Martian rover Curiosity (Sylvestre Maurice) Chemistry of aromas (Thierry Talou - Laurène Pfajfer)
The young researchers Together with the “Petits Débrouillards”, researchers will be putting on children’s workshops, starting from 18:00.
Research documentaries Showings of films from CNRS Images - as of 20:15 The aim of CNRS Images is to enhance scientific research by means of photography and media techniques. Its documentaries cover the scientific fields of the CNRS, the French National Scientific Research Centre. Films to be shown: “La colle” (Glue) (15 min.) - “Un souffle pour la science” (A breath for science) (9 min.) - “Chroniques du plankton” (Plankton chronicles) (5 min.) - “Boite noire en partage” (Black boxes in cars) (7 min.) - “Les 50 ans du laser” (50 years of the laser) (10 min.) - “Du pollen, des climates” (Pollen, climates) (11 min.) - “HRP2 : Premiers pas vers l’autonomie” (HRP2: First steps towards autonomy) (6 min.) 21:30: “Paris Pékin à vélo” (Paris to Beijing on a bike) (52 min.) and Benjamin Guinot’s presentation 23:00: “l’INRA en région Midi-Pyrénées” (INRA in the Midi-Pyrénées region) (16min)
20 minute talks All figures and graphs are banned: to understand without being baffled! 18:00: Termites will eat no longer (Carlos Vaca-Garcia) 18:30: Cancer (Bettina Couderc - Elisabeth Moyal) 19:00: “Les sacs à procès du Parlement de Toulouse” (Sacks containing the files for cases from Toulouse Parliament) (Marie Isabelle Gentillet) 19:30: Anorexia in infants (Thomas Cascales) 20:00: The associations of the species (Laurent Bedoussac) 20:30: Earthquakes, monitoring of buildings in the Pyrenean area (Fabien Duco) 21:00: Theoretical physics (Clément Sire) 21:30: Epidemiology (Pascale Grosclaude)
Portraits of researchers Short films produced by ESAV students and discussion 18:30: Mathematics (Nicolas Fazilleau) 19:10: Biology / chemistry (Paola Arimondo) 19:50: Geochemistry (Jeroen Sonke) 21:00: Medias, advertisements and artistic action (Anne Sauvageot) 21:40: Plants / micro-organisms (Marta Marchetti) 22:20: Medical Imagery (Hadj Batatia) The portraits of Fabian Berges, Gérard Vilarem, Henri Caussinus and Audrey Ferrand will be continuously shown.
Speed - researching Face to face in the “bar espace 149”. Organised by doctorands from the Plume association. Starting at 20:00 and every 10 minutes thereafter. Invite yourself to a researcher’s table for 10 minutes! The time to discuss your questions or subjects that interest you.
Exhibitions - “Des territoires et des hommes”: biodiversity, agriculture, forest in rural countryside. - “FLAGS'ND DISHES”: the edible European flag. - Le Bar à eau (The water bar).
Artistic expressions “La formule du bonheur” (Equipment and photographs courtesy of the ARTEST association). “Le Casoar et machine à peau” (Sound, olfactory and visual equipment courtesy of Brigitte Pougeoise, David Slaviero, Stéphane Bottard & Philippe Pélardy, together with the researcher, aromatherapist and alchemist Michael Moisseef). “Fresque Murale” (pictorial editing courtesy of Cédric Lavaud).
The European Researchers Night at the Cité de l’Espace An event co-organised by: the Cité de l’espace, CNRS, INSERM, INRA, INP Toulouse, OMP and the Université de Toulouse. In partnership with: association Plume!, Science Animation, Toulouse Blog, les petits débrouillards and Pratics-Cnam.
The Researchers’ Night is also taking place in other towns: consult this website for further information.
This is the mythical rocket par excellence, the one that launched Sputnik, the first satellite and Gagarin, the first man in space. The CSG, Guiana Space Centre, is now one of its launch bases: a historic achievement.
The first episode of this famous science-fiction series was broadcast in September 1966. NASA has often made references to these programmes, as in the case of the space shuttle Enterprise, which had the same name as the spaceship in the series.
50 years ago on 5 May 1961, a few weeks after Gagarin, American Alan Shepard reached space. Several years later, he was to walk on the Moon, summarising as it were the race in which the Soviet Union and the United States were competing.
The 
