France in Space

France established its national space agency, the Centre national d'etudes spatiales (CNES - National Space Studies Center), in 1961.

France participates in the Ariane program include Ariane-5 and has a joint venture with Russia marketting the Soyuz Laucher called Starsem. It was also involved with the Ariane-4.

Asterix-1 (A-1) was the first French satellite. It was launched on November 26, 1965 by a Diamant rocket. France became the third country to launch a satellite into space.

UFO Reports

On Thursday, March 22, 2007, CNES released its UFO files to the public through its website. The 100,000 pages of witness testimony, photographs, film footage and audiotapes are an accumulation of over than 1,600 sightings since 1954 and will include all future UFO reports obtained by the agency.