French space program

The French space program includes both civil and military spaceflight activities.

The French space program dates from 1961, when President Charles de Gaulle created the Centre National d' Etudes Spatiales (CNES) to coordinate French space activities. Development of France's first carrier rocket, the Diamant, began in 1962.

The French space budget, although stagnant since the early 2000s (decade) in constant euros, remains in absolute terms the largest of the member countries of the European Space Agency (ESA). In 2004, this budget stood at 1.698 billion euros, with 685 million being transferred to the ESA for the programs conducted under its supervision.

External links

• Signe 3 at NASA NSSDC
• Signe 3 at NASA HEASARC