SGAC France
National Points of Contact France
France is a major player in institutional and industrial space activities at the European and international level since the early space age. It is one of the key actors for the future of European space activities with its contribution to the European Space Agency and the top commercial launch provider of satellites with the Guiana Space Center.
The French space sectors offers many opportunities for students and young professionals that SGAC brings to them: enabling to build your international space network, offering you leadership opportunities and giving you a voice (at the United Nations, at space agencies, at academic institutions and in industry). Join us!

Newsletters
A local newsletter has been launched in order to share the latest news and opportunities of interest for the french SGAC community. SGAC members are encouraged to actively contribute in its writing by submitting articles on space-related topics to the 2 french NPoCs. The newsletters for January 2020 and April 2020 (in French) can be downloaded below.
Young Space Activities Overview in France
France offers plenty of opportunities for the next generation. The two main geographical areas for the space industry in France are Toulouse and the Paris area. Both regions have high-level universities, a space museum (Cité de l’Espace and Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace) and host alternatively international conferences (Toulouse Space Show and the Paris Air Show). The Paris area mainly gathers industries in the sector of space transportation and Toulouse mainly gathers orbital systems industries. There are other regions highly involved in the space industry, namely Bordeaux (with for example Novespace) and Cannes (with for example Thales Alenia Space).
There are also plenty of opportunities for students to grow their knowledge by participating for example to the PERSEUS (Projet Etudiant de Recherche Spatiale) Program from CNES or attend the Ariane City Network Summer School. Check out the event calendar for 2020!
In addition, since France is a member state of the European Space Agency, any French student is entitled to participate in any program organised at ESA, as well as to attend any program from any EU member state countries.
Country-Specific Events in 2020
Main events
- Aerospace Europe Conference (3AF) – 25-28 February 2020, Bordeaux
- Paris Space Week – 25-26 February 2020, The Air and Space Museum, Paris-Le-Bourget
- SGAC networking dinner – 23 March 2020, to be defined, Paris
- IAF Spring Meetings – 24-26 March 2020, NEW CAP Event Center, Paris
- SG[France]2020: Our Giant Leap – 15 June 2020, ISAE-Supaero, Toulouse
- Toulouse Space Show – 19-20 June 2020, MEETT, Toulouse
Others
- Les Mardi de l’Espace – Third Tuesday of each month, Café le Lutèce, Paris
- TheLastJeudi – Last Thursday of each month, Paris/ Toulouse/ Bordeaux/ Strasbourg/ Cannes
Courses
- Executive Space Course (ISU) – 20-24 April 2020, Strasbourg
- Techniques & Technologies des Véhicules Spatiaux (TTVS) – Dates 2020 to be defined, Toulouse
Interesting Web Links
Groups, People, Institutions
- Association Aéronautique et Astronautique de France (3AF)
- Association Planète Mars (French branch of Mars Society)
- Centre Nationale d’Etudes Spatiales
- Communauté des Villes Ariane – Community of Ariane Cities
- Communauté d’Experts (COMET)
- ESA BIC Sud France – European Space Agency Incubator
- Eurisy
- Groupe Parlementaire sur l’Espace
- Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales
- Institut du Droit de l’Espace et des Télécommunications
- Institut Français d’Histoire de l’Espace
- International Space University
- Moon Village Association
- Planete Science
- Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales
- Student Aerospace Challenge
Job Offer
Main companies
Start-ups
Studies
- ISAE-SUPAERO
- Ecole de l’Air et de l’Espace (IPSA)
- Ecole de l’Air
- Formations spatiales – Space Training
- University Paris-Sud 11 (Masters Degree in Space and Telecommunication Law)
- International Space University (ISU)
- Institut du Droit de l’Espace et des Télécommunications
- University of Western Brittany (Masters Degree in International Law of Spaces)
- Intespace
- EUROSAE (Advanced Training)
- Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile
- ESTACA
Read
- Air et Cosmos – Aeronautics and Space Magazine
- Ciel et Espace – Astronomy focused magazine
- CNESMAG – Space news by CNES
- Espace & Exploration – Space focused magazine