The International Geophysical Year: The French Participation Its Influence on the Beginning of the National Space Program

摘要

In 1957-1958, the International Geophysical Year (IGY) was the most important scientific cooperation programme in the World, after the Second World War. Thousand scientists from sixty-seven countries were involved in this large operation, among them a lot of French scientists. IGY was previously called the IPY (International Polar Year) and France, as many other countries, has been involved in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions researches. Everybody knows that the IGY is at the origins of Sputnik and the first launches of Russian and American satellites. But, we know less about the IGY rockets programme itself, in which France had intended to participate. This paper will discuss on this programme with a special highlight on some aspects of the French participation and its relationship with the IGY programme. This approach arises several questions, such as: Which French scientists have been involved in? What was the attitude of the French Government about this program, etc. Focusing our analyze on the interrogation: Did the IGY have a real influence on the beginning of the French space research activities?