Gaïa, an environmental group which uses strong-arm tactics, defies the United States to fight for the cause of sustainable development. A strategy which will prove all the more dangerous since the American government will use this opportunity to make Gaïa's leader, Abel the perfect scapegoat in the race against China for the control of lunar Helium-3. We’ll say no more about it, because it would be a shame to spoil the surprises in store for future readers of this techo-ecological thriller with a good dose of space. The novel also has an obvious satirical aspect with its scathing portraits of political leaders and the heads of multinational companies. However, for Jean-Pierre Goux the environmental theme (tinged with shamanism and utopia) is not simply a way of being trendy.  You only need to read the author’s blog to see the sincerity of his approach and this is rare enough to be highlighted. The same applies for space, which fascinates him and which, as such, plays a central role in the plot and even serves as a keystone since the awareness of our planet’s fragility thanks to space missions is an underlying theme of the work (for example the famous photo of the Earth taken from lunar obit during the Apollo 8 mission). Indeed, with Siècle Bleu, Jean-Pierre Goux demonstrates that astronautics is at the heart of our civilisation’s future. A healthy reminder.

Siècle Bleu (in French)
by Jean-Pierre Goux
Editions JbZ&Cie
Price: €21

Official novel website and blog

It is "the" all-time legendary rocket, the one that sent the first satellite and the first man into space - and the first woman, too! With a unique track record of over 1,700 flights, it suffers from the syndrome of the legend that hides the true story. And what a fascinating story! Fortunately, Christian Lardier and Stefan Barensky, two reputed space journalists, have written a book (in French) that plunges the reader back into a wonderful adventure dating back to the Soviet era and the beginnings of space conquest. The title refers to two lives because the first part of the book takes a precise look at the genesis and the Soviet career of this emblematic rocket, before guiding us through its "move to the west" in the second part, describing the commercial career of what was, at the outset, a war weapon. As we know, a Soyuz rocket will soon blast off from the Space Centre in French Guiana; "Les Deux Vies de Soyouz" helps us fully grasp how important this event is in historic terms and why, for a long time, it was quite simply unthinkable. Essential reading!

"Les Deux Vies de Soyouz"
by Christian Lardier and Stefan Barensky
Éditions Édite
Price: €28

Over the years and through its 16 editions, this French book (Le Guide du Ciel 2010-2011: 2010-2011 Guide to the Sky) has earned a reputation as an essential reference that is perfectly justified! In 350 pages, Guillaume Cannat gives you pointers for following the most beautiful celestial phenomena expected between June 2010 and June 2011. Lunar months, positions of the planets, occultations, meteor showers and more, not forgetting expert suggestions with regard to observations and a guide for astronomical instruments and resources (the Internet, reviews, useful addresses): you will not miss anything thanks to a clear layout with accurate, easy-to-understand texts. Moreover, the author includes the main space anniversaries! Yet another reason (if one was needed...) for purchasing this annual French bible which keeps you in touch with the sky.

Le Guide du Ciel 2010-2011
Published by “Editions AMDS”
350 pages - €29

Author, Guillaume Cannat’s website

The 3AF, Association Aéronautique Astronautique de France, (French Aeronautics and Astronautics Association) and the Cité de l’Espace are putting on a conference entitled “Satellites et santé” (Satellites and health) with Doctor Antonio Guell, Head of the Space Product Valorisation and Application department at the CNES. In the not too distant future, telemedicine, which relies on satellites, will concern millions of people, both in developed countries and in regions suffering from a lack of medical infrastructures.
Thursday 10 June at 18:00 at the Cité de l’Espace, Toulouse
Salle Altaïr - entrance is free of charge

Published on 7 June 2010

Next year, NASA’s rover MSL-Curiosity is to blast off to Mars, taking some French experiments with it. To find out more about this, the “Club Espace de Supaéro” and the “3AF Jeunes” suggest that you follow a conference entitled “Les défis scientifiques de la mission Mars Science Laboratory” (The scientific challenges of the Mars Science Laboratory mission) run by Maurice Sylvestre, astrophysicist at the CESR, Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements (The French Space Radiation Research Centre) and co-manager of the ChemCam instrument (one of the instruments onboard the rover).
Make a date in your diary for Wednesday 9 June at 20:00 at ISAE - Supaéro Campus, 10 avenue Édouard Belin in Toulouse (Amphitheatre 2).

Published on 3 June 2010

The Regional Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées Group of the 3AF, “Association Aéronautique et Astronautique de France” (French Aeronautics and Astronautics Association) is organising a special conference on space tourism. Entitled “Les vols spatiaux privés: le début d’une nouvelle ère” (Private space flights: the beginning of a new era), it is to be chaired by Garrett Smith (founder of the working group on space tourism at the 3AF) and Dominique Teyssier who has reserved a seat aboard a future flight with the company Virgin Galactic.

The conference is to take place at and in partnership with the Cité de l’Espace in Toulouse (France) on 8 June 2010 at 18:00 (entrance is free of charge).

All 3AF events for 2010

Smash hit at the box office, James Cameron’s film covers several astronautical themes in a way that is often pertinent, such as the difficulty of interstellar journeys (see this feature) or the limit that mankind, as a species, can encounter as regards the exploration, or even colonisation, of other worlds (see this article). The edition we tested is the same as that on release today, 21 April, sold in a “combo edition” which comprises the film on Blu-ray as well as on DVD. There are no bonuses; the film is true to the cinema version and therefore has no additional scenes. With the loss of the 3D, this choice could be seen as a little harsh... However, the quality of the image resulting from maximum use of the Blu-ray format (the lack of bonus enabling almost all the data storage space on the disc to be reserved for just the one film) reaches, and even exceeds, all heights and sets Avatar up as a prominent ambassador for home HD. The sound track is equally excellent. Obviously, the sci-fi epic of this space enthusiast (see this article) in the guise of a Canadian film director has retained all its qualities in the 2D version, providing the opportunity of going to Pandora as many times as we like.

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Two-disc Blu-ray + DVD combo edition
Publisher: Fox Pathé Europa (for Europe)
Retail price: €29.99
1080p image and DTS (French) or DTS HD (English) sound for the Blu-ray format