[obsdoc] [Fwd: Avenir de la Science Spatiale Europeenne]

[Réza Samadi <Reza.Samadi@obspm.fr>]

(extrait de la derniere lettre de la SF2A)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Avenir de la Science Spatiale Europeenne
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catherine Turon (catherine.turon@obspm.fr)

Cher(e)s Collegues,

Je me permet d'attirer votre attention sur un document et une
consultation
sur le web qui sont d'une importance capitale pour l'avenir de la
science
europeenne, et donc en particulier de l'astronomie, dans le domaine
spatial.

Il s'agit du "Livre vert", prepare par la Communaute Europeenne, en
cooperation avec l'Agence Spatiale Europeenne (me semble-t-il avec fort
peu de cooperation !). Il existe en de multiples langues. Vous pouvez
le trouver a l'adresse suivante:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/space/futur/greenpaper_en.html

Par ailleurs, une consultation sur le web est ouverte a:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/space/futur/events_en.html

La consultation est ouverte jusqu'au 30 mai. Elle doit aboutir a des
decisions, eventuellement cruciales (!), sur la Science Spatiale en
Europe, dans un  "Livre blanc". Voir aussi la presentation de
R. Bonnet a La Collle sur Loup:
http://www.oamp.fr/section14/colloque/index.html

En parallele, une serie de reunions sur divers sujets ont lieu ces
mois-ci. La reunion sur la science se tient  Berlin le 8 avril.

Bien qu'il soit dit que: "l'objectif [soit] de faire de l'Europe la
societe de la connaissance la plus avancee au monde d'ici 2010" et que
"La communaute scientifique europeenne occupe une position de premier
plan dans les deux disciplines majeures de la science spatiale que sont
l'astrophysique et l'exploration du systeme solaire, de meme que dans
l'observation de la terre." et que "La science .../... est aussi un
puissant moteur technologique", aucune question n'est posee sur sur ce
chapitre ... ce qui peut laisser penser que peu de temps y sera
consacre.

Donc: aller lire ce document et exprimez-vous dans le cadre de cette
consultation !

Pour information ci-dessous, une lettre de M. Grewing,  President du
Space Science Advisory Committee de l'ESA (SSAC ) et de R. Pellinen,
President du Science Programme Committee de l'ESA (SPC) a la Communaute
Scientifique

A vos plumes !
Catherine Turon

****
Objet: Letter to the Scientific Community

Dear Colleagues,

Please find herewith 2 documents :
1. The Cover note to the Scientific Community
2. The letter


D/SCI/GC/val/16124                                 Paris, 31 March 2003

1. Cover note to the scientific community

Dear Colleague,

The European Commission and the European Space Agency have jointly
started
a reflection on the future European space policy. The exercise might
turn
out to be of crucial importance for the destiny of space science, which,
at this moment, does not play a conspicuous role in the Green Paper.
The Chairman of the Space Science Advisory Committee and the Chairman of
the Science Programme Committee express their concern in the attached
letter
and invite the European scientific community to participate in an active
and responsible way in the web consultation exercise, which has just
started.
For practical reasons the Science Programme Directorate, has made its
infrastructure available to the  SPC and SSAC Chairmen, and is
forwarding
to you their letter, which strictly speaking reflects their personal,
well
considered opinions.

Thank you for your kind attention,

Giacomo Cavallo, Executive Secretary to the SSAC
Hugo Maree, Executive Secretary to the SPC

2. Letter

Dear Colleague,

As you probably know, upon request by the European Parliament, the
European
Commission jointly with ESA has published a Green Paper, which is
presently
being followed by a consultation process, which in turn should lead to
binding decisions (White Paper) regarding the European Space Policy.
Thus, ESA has been involved in the first phase of this exercise, which
resulted in the production of the "Green Paper", which you may find on
line at http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/space/doc_pdf/greenpaper_en.pdf

The second phase ("consultation", being conducted by the EC/ESA Joint
Task
Force) consists of a series of topical workshops and a web consultation.
The dedicated space science workshop will be held in Berlin on 8 April
2003.

While the invitation to the workshops is handled by the EC, and the
attendance must necessarily be limited, the web consultation is open to
everybody. Comments can be sent to the same address indicated above,
noting that the consultation will end on 30 May 2003.

We would like to concentrate in this note on this part of the exercise.
A perusal of the Green Paper will make you aware of the fact that very
little attention in it is dedicated to basic science, which, along with
Space Science, includes also Earth Observations, Microgravity and Life
Sciences in space. In particular, while for most other topics one or
more
questions are expressed to stimulate the discussion, only one question
is
proposed with some relationship to science, namely about the investment
into the ISS.

Our fear is that the small space dedicated to science in the Green Paper
might be an anticipation of the small importance space science will have
in the formulation of a European Space Policy. Thus, we believe that all
concerned scientists in this difficult period must make their voice
heard
through the web consultation.

We do not know how the results of the consultation will be evaluated.
However, that should not prevent a strong participation in it.

The best would be if you could read the Green Paper, and make your
comments.
But, both for those who will do so and those who can only dedicate
limited
time to this exercise, we add now some "food for thought", specific to
space science:

-  basic science, in particular space science , is a "creator of
knowledge".
How can our society become the "most dynamic knowledge-based society" as
anticipated by the European Ministers in Lisbon in 2000, if science is
not
given its due weight in a European Space Policy?  How can science be
part
of the European Space Policy?

- In Europe, science is among the first victims of budget cuts at times
of crisis, and space science is no exception. In striking contrast  the
US
Congress has given strong support to the request by the NASA Office for
Space Science (dealing strictly with space science)  to raise its budget
to 4 billion US$ in 2004. How can this difference in attitude be
overcome?

- It is often overlooked that in the United States  TWO sectors invest
heavily into technologies used in space: (i) the US military, funding
the
development of leading-edge technologies (and the market for launchers
and
spacecraft), and (ii) the NASA space science programme. Should the ESA
Science Programme not be put into a position to play a similar role?
In this context it is important to note that science is de facto the
most
important European institutional customer for launchers.

- What kind of institutional framework would be the best for space
science
in Europe?  Considering the EC tradition to focus on applications of
direct
use to policy implementation, we believe that basic space science would
be in a more advantageous position if ESA would remain as an independent
organisation, within the EU system, directly interfacing with the
National
Agencies and scientific institutions, to which it is coupled through its
advisory structure.

We think that  an active participation in the consultation from the
scientific community could  hardly be ignored. In any case, this is
possibly
our only opportunity to enter this exercise, and we hope that you can
find
some time to participate in the web consultation.

Sincerely,

M. Grewing                                 R. Pellinen
Chairman of SSAC                  Chairman of SPC



-- 
Reza Samadi
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Tel 	: 33 (0)1 45 07 78 48 	Fax : 33 (0)1 45 07 78 72
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