Tarbes: At the Ger field, future engineers to conquer space

The countdown starts in the speakers. Irresistible. If the seconds tick away, time seems suspended on the faces of the young people whose one-year project is about to reach the bigourdan sky. On the occasion of the 60th C’Space, this camp organized by Cnes and Planète Sciences, launches take place on the military site of the Ger field which the 1st RHP of Tarbes has made available to scientists every summer for a week, since 2015.

This year, 23 fusexes (experimental rockets), 26 mini-rockets, 5 cansats (cans depicting a space probe that can be launched from a drone and depict a landing on a planet) and 2 balloons followed one another on the launch pad. “These are young people from all over France and even from abroad who belong to clubs linked to engineering schools and also to some high schools, explains Damien De Seze, project manager of C’Space at Cnes. They work on these projects throughout the year. Mechanics, technology, aerodynamics, there are many areas and parameters to master. Throughout all this work and up until now, on the eve of launch, their rocket must pass tests to be qualified and airworthy. Sometimes they work through the night for their machine to validate these tests. For these youngsters, just seeing their rocket on the launch pad is the pinnacle. Even if late, they will also have a lot of data and results after their flight to analyze. This is the case of Corentin and Thomas studying at the Esilu of La Défense, whose rocket should take off in a few minutes. “It is the realization of many sleepless nights, they smile. From around thirty at the start of the project, we’ve dropped to less than ten. It’s challenging and technical. It requires a lot of involvement, in addition to the lessons. But it is a concrete and therefore stimulating project. »

The Parisian students are preparing to leave their protégé in the hands of the CNES teams. A dozen engineers from the agency are involved in firing and supporting young people. “He’s a coach for them too,” continues Damien De Seze. It is practice before going to Ariane or Vega. This corresponds to the mission of CNES to spread this scientific culture. Alongside them, these young students will not necessarily integrate Cnes, but it is a springboard for new-space, start-ups, industry, complementary to schools. And it’s been going on for 60 years, it’s amazing! »

Reserve astronaut from the European Space Agency in the foreground

Around the launch pad, the public gathers. Among these, a privileged spectator and particularly sought after by young people, Arnaud Prost, reserve astronaut of the European Space Agency and who rediscovers Tarbes and the RHP where he had studied at the beginning of his career, while he was at the Polytechnic. “I stayed at 2nd Squadron for ten months and, thanks to the start of the war in Mali and the commitment of the regiment, I was quickly put in command. I learned very early and very young in this regiment that I had chosen for its history and its operational dimension. I am happy to come back and participate in this event. When we see the solidarity and involvement of these young people to achieve very advanced goals. They have a claim to excellence that rings in the ears of the hussars. I’m here as an ambassador for space activities. Because behind the astronaut who embarks on a manned flight, there are thousands of people, engineers. We need those talents. Tomorrow it will perhaps be these young people who will fill this scientific ecosystem. “A conquest of space which therefore, here as elsewhere, has a brilliant future ahead of it…