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French-Russian space cooperation:
a common heritage for the future

26 September 2006
Ever since the 1st cooperation agreement willed by General Charles De Gaulle in 1966, France and Russia have combined their space expertise for lunar exploration, human spaceflight and launch vehicles. In 1 month’s time, a symposium in Moscow will bring together key figures from French-Russian space missions past and present to mark a continuous 40-year relationship unique in Europe. It will also provide an opportunity to lay foundations for future cooperation.

Celebrating 40 years of fruitful collaboration


30 June 1966, France and the Soviet Union signed a cooperation agreement on the peaceful exploration of space.
Cagdas Kahriman.

Cagdas Kahriman.

Ever since this landmark agreement, the 2 nations have sustained a uniquely close and enduring relationship in the space sector.

To mark the anniversary of the agreement, CNES, the Russian space agency Roscosmos and the French Embassy in Moscow are organizing a symposium to commemorate past achievements and chart avenues for future cooperation.

There will be 6 round-table sessions devoted to Universe science, human spaceflight and industrial cooperation on launchers.



These 3 themes cover most of what France and Russia have accomplished together in space in the past 40 years. For example, as far back as the early 1970s France supplied the TL-2 laser retroreflectors for the Soviet Lunakhod lunar rover.
Jean-Loup Chrétien back from PVH mission in 1982. Credits: CNES

Jean-Loup Chrétien back from PVH mission in 1982. Credits: CNES

French-Soviet cooperation in human spaceflight got underway in 1982 with Jean-Loup Chrétien’s mission on the Salyut-7 space station.
There followed 7 more French-Russian spaceflights up until 2001, during which 5 French astronauts flew to the MIR space station or the ISS aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.

Looking ahead


French-Russian cooperation has evolved in many ways since 1966.
While the 1966 agreements related especially to scientific research, later agreements expanded the sphere of collaboration to space missions.

Today, France and Russia have extended their collaboration in space to joint industrial and commercial projects.

The French-Russian Starsem company has operated Soyuz launches since 1996, while many new partnerships have formed, particularly in launch vehicles and propulsion systems.



The arrival of the Soyuz launcher at the Guiana Space Centre signals one of the next steps in this cooperation.
Operated until now from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, and Plessetsk, Russia, Soyuz is now set to join Ariane 5 with its 1st flight from French Guiana scheduled for 2008.
Artist's impression of the Soyuz launch pad at- the Guiana Space Center. Credits: CNES/Esa/D.Ducros

Artist's impression of the Soyuz launch pad at- the Guiana Space Center. Credits: CNES/Esa/D.Ducros

To symbolize this solid French-Russian relationship, the "Gagarin stone" from Baikonur, where Yuri Gagarin became the 1st man lofted into space, will be laid inside the new Soyuz launch pad in Kourou.

Alongside events to mark the 40th anniversary of space cooperation, a symposium on the theme “A common heritage for the future“ will chart the long-term prospects for French-Russian relations in space.


French-Russian symposium: 40 years of space cooperation: a common heritage for the future
17-18 October 2006, Moscow, Russia

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Soyuz in Guiana

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