By akademiotoelektronik, 31/01/2023

Neil Armstrong: French space specialists remember

Le Monde mourns the disappearance of Neil Armstrong, the first man to have sprained the lunar soil on July 20, 1969.In 2009, for the fortieth anniversary of this historic day, four French space experts - Jean -Loup Chrétien, Claudie Haigneré, Jean -Jacques Dordain and André Brahic - entrusted their memories of this moment.

Jean-Loup Chrétien, first European astronaut in space.Three flights: Saliout 7 (1982), MIR (1988) and Atlantis (1997).

""""""""""""""""At the time, I was orange fighter pilot and, like all the others, I bought myself a TV.On July 21, I spent a white night watching the images of Neil Armstrong getting out of the Eagle lunar module, soon joined by Aldrin.The images were not perfect, but it was prodigious, even if we expected it, because there had been the previous Apollo missions.But I must say that my feeling of enthusiasm was tinged with frustration.By observing Neil and buzz walking on the moon, I said to myself that as French I would never know that.Now, already, in 1961, when I was a student officer, I thought of becoming a station.When Youri Gagarin made the first flight in space, I started in my head to do everything to follow him one day.At the time, when I repeated this to my bosses, they displayed a big smile, telling me that I would be great-grandfather when a French would go into space.They were wrong, of course.

The view of Armstrong and Aldrin on the Moon has confirmed this will.Subsequently, when I joined the body of American astronauts in 1999, I met them, but they were not very talkative, especially Neil Armstrong.On the other hand, I became very friendly with Harrison Schmitt who was the penultimate man to tread the lunar surface.He was the only scientist - he is a geologist - to be part of the Apollo missions.A few months ago, I accompanied him in Himalayas where he had planned to make an ascent.I myself stayed at the base camp.To return to the Apollo program, it was a real technological feat, because the spatial science of the sixties was still rudimentary.Imagine that the astronauts still wore omega watches that we went up to the hand!The risk was high, we piled up systems on each other, like the links of a chain, and no one had to break.With the explosion that occurred aboard Apollo 13, the Americans understood that the adventure had become too dangerous to continue beyond Apollo 17.Subsequent missions were canceled.

What's the point of walking on the moon?It was above all a media, political gesture within the framework of the Cold War.The Americans had to regain their hands in the space conquest, which, until then, was led by the Soviets.But the fundamental justification is that the taste for adventure and exploration is in the genes of man!During my three flights, I often thought of Neil, Buzz and Michael, because they were part of my dream.Of course you have to go back to the moon.After robots have built three-star hotels for astronauts.It will serve as a springboard to go further.""""""""""""""""

Claudie Haigneré, president of the City of Sciences and the Palais de la Découverte.Slush.MIR (1996), International Space Station (2001).

""""""""""""""""On July 20, 1969, I was 12, I was on vacation in a campsite with my parents.A TV had been installed outdoors.I was then fascinated by the extraordinary spectacle.In the sky, we saw the moon all round and there, on the screen, we saw men walking on it.It was captivating.But at that time I was still a little girl who did not think of walking in the stars.Much later, I became a friend with Buzz Aldrin.He is an intelligent, kind being.Today, I realize how much the Apollo missions noted with a technological feat, but the Americans had put the means.

I no longer thought of the moon for many years.Until the day when, rheumatologist in the hospital, I discovered this poster of the CNES launching a call for candidates to become a stationaute.Immediately, the images of Armstrong and Aldrin printed in my memory refire surface.I immediately signed up.I think that a woman could have participated very well in the lunar adventure.Subsequently, we have proven that we were as resistant and competent as men.But in the sixties...Throughout the selection, I absolutely did not think that I was a girl in an environment of men.It was only the day when there was the presentation of the selected candidates that I realized that I was the only woman.Thereafter, I never had the slightest problem with male cosmonauts.In space, it is only a question of competence. Quand j'ai volé avec Leonov, héros de l'Union soviétique, le premier homme à être sorti dans l'espace, je pouvais me permettre de lui dire : """"""""""""""""Alexeï, je ne suis pas d'accord avec toi, il vaudrait mieux faire comme cela.""""""""""""""""He agreed to listen to me and, generally, I was right.

Exploring, that is part of man's genes.One day, we will return to the moon, then on Mars and far beyond...It is absolutely not necessary to cut the thread that started to take place on July 20, 1969.For the moment, the Americans, the Russians and even the Chinese speak of returning there.Europe must frankly participate in this adventure.She has the means, she has launchers and stews.The return to the moon will necessarily be the case of international cooperation.For all young people today, it would be a wonderful adventure to give as an example.Some claim that you don't need to launch men in space, that automatic probes and robots would be enough to do the job.But nothing can replace human beings.Often, I am asked what impression is the earth since space.When I was on an official trip to China, the Chinese Prime Minister himself attracted me in a corner to ask me this question.Just to answer it, men must continue to go to space.Go myself on the moon?Why not, I still have to be the only woman to have a Soyuz vessel life certificate...If I was offered to me - but we won't do it - I would answer yes without hesitation, even if it means devoting ten years of my life to it.""""""""""""""""

Jean-Jacques Dordain, CEO of ESA (European Space Agency)

""""""""""""""""I necessarily remember on July 20, 1969, it was the day I spent my engineering diploma! In the afternoon, I then took the wheel for the Gers, where I watched theFirst stems of armstrong with friends.We couldn't miss this.I was already passionate about space.I spent all my adolescence stuck on the radio to follow all the flights of Gemini and Apollo.Of course, when I looked at the retransmission of Apollo 11, I found it extraordinary.I experienced it in the first degree.But, with hindsight, I realize that the first step of the man on the moon accompanied by the American flag is not the most important event.This had taken place a few months earlier, during Apollo 8.This is the first time that man has escaped earth attraction and went around the moon.But, above all, this is the first time that men have seen the earth since space.

Of course you have to go back with men.The human dimension is essential for the public to adhere to the space conquest.He recognizes himself more in astronauts than in engineers.But this return to the moon cannot be done in an autonomous way.Moreover, none of the countries concerned really count.You have to work on a global program.The five stakeholder partners of the international space station must agree to accommodate other countries, including China, India and others...Personally, I am in favor of the participation of the Chinese.In this case, Europe can bring its Ariane V launcher.With ATV, she showed that she was able to organize appointments in space.And then we have ESA astronauts.

As for undertaking a real colonization of a land planet or more distant, I do not believe it too much because of the time scale.Just TerraformMer Mars (making it habitable like Earth) would take thousands of years.With simple rules to calculate, America in the sixties took less than nine years to place a man on the moon;With our computers, there is no reason for us to take more than ten years.Me, leaving?But of course I am, like everyone else.Remember that I was part in 1977 of the five French astronauts preselected for SpaceLab-1.""""""""""""""""

André Brahic, astronomer, discoverer of the neptune rings

""""""""""""""""On July 20, 1969, I am in the desert of Syria, I take tea in a village in nomads where there is a TV.It's an extraordinary moment.I am in Mesopotamia, the cradle of humanity, the first look at the sky!Around me, I have the impression that life has not changed much for four thousand years and, at the same time, I look at the images of men setting foot on the moon.It's extraordinary, moving.Today, forty years later, I remain convinced that the solar system and the stars will be for us what America and Oceania were for our ancestors: new lands.It is not impossible that man has left planets revolving around other stars and does not come back.Imagine a star located four light years old, the trip would only take twenty years!It is almost easier to go on a rocket towards another star than to cross the Pacific aboard a raft like the ancestors of the Hawaiians were able to do it.In three thousand or four thousand years, history books will say that the space epic started in 1969 when the man set foot on the moon.

There are very numerous benefits of the lunar conquest.For example, reported rocks have made it possible to better understand the land.To go back there ?Certainly, but a only geopolitical objective would be messy.As a geophysicist, I affirm: do not waste our money by immediately sending a man to Mars for a dementia.Let's start by sending several dozen automatic probes, then after only a geologist to find fossils.Not a sportsman, not a soldier, but a real scientist who should be made the travel conditions a little more convenient.Unfortunately, current politicians have no scientific culture.So he is not sure that they make the right decision.Nevertheless, I remain convinced that if the men are not crazy enough to self -destruct, one day we will occupy the satellites of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn to recover the minerals and the fuels of tomorrow.Myself, I would dream of going to the moon, of visiting the satellites of Saturn and Jupiter.But the price to pay for the moment is too expensive.This requires twenty years of training.Ah, the centrifuge!Now, if I am told we put you in a very large comfort, as in the first classes of Air France, then, I am ready.""""""""""""""""