The CNES, a new scientific and educational partner for Energy Observer
In order to successfully complete its mission to promote renewable energies and raise awareness about the challenges of the energy and ecological transition, Energy Observer is teaming up with the CNES (France’s National Centre for Space Studies).
To draw energy from nature, without damaging or wasting it, such is Energy Observer’s vision. This floating laboratory relies on a mixture of renewable energies to produce its clean hydrogen from seawater and store it aboard: a world first.
Energy Observer travelling exhibition – photo © Energy Observer Productions / Antoine Drancey
This energy architecture enables 100% self-sufficiency in energy when navigating the oceans, with 0 emissions, 0 fine particles and 0 noise for the underwater ecosystems. It also provides evidence of how reliable these systems are and their practical applications both at sea and on land to respond the challenges of climate change.
In conjunction with the programme of innovation, this round the world ‘Odyssey’ is accompanied by a series of actions, which make it possible to raise awareness among all audiences about the challenges of ecological transition through a travelling exhibition, documentaries and digital educational content accessible to as many people as possible.
The Energy Observer team at Svalbard – photo © Energy Observer Productions / Marta Sostres
Through its various space missions and its research activities, France’s National Centre for Space Studies is helping to combat climate change. Indeed, solely the satellites can cover the phenomena at work on a planetary scale and document more than half the key climate variables outlined by the scientific community. Whether it is a question of the evolution in the height of the oceans, monitoring of the chemical make-up of the atmosphere or the analysis of the terrestrial biomass, satellite data plays a crucial role in our ability to better understand the evolution in the climate and the extent of its impact.
Saint-Malo in Brittany seen by the Pléiades satellite on August 28, 2013 – photo © CNES / Distribution Airbus DS, 2013
The Space Climate Observatory (SCO) was set in train by France through the CNES. Launched by the President of the French Republic during a show at Le Bourget in June 2019, the SCO is a One Planet Summit initiative, which today gathers together 26 international space agencies and organisations. It is developing operational tooling enabling vulnerable areas to put in place solutions for adapting to climate change based on the analysis of local space and socio-economic data.
Merlin satellite – photo © CNES / ill./ DUCROS David, 2016
Jean-Yves Le Gall, President of the CNES explains: “Since the COP21 in 2015, France has taken the international lead in the struggle to combat climate change, as evidenced by the latest editions of the One Planet Summit, on the initiative of the President of the French Republic. Space is no exception, quite the contrary in fact. The CNES has prioritised the issue of climate preservation by cooperating with its international partners to develop ever more high-performance tooling and above all by organising genuine coordination between space agencies the world over. Demonstrating global warming, measuring the increase in sea levels and controlling greenhouse gases are just some of the practical examples of satellite applications at the service of our planet for the common good of mankind. Our partnership with Energy Observer, which is exemplary in this field, is another step forward in opening up space for the benefit of the climate.”
The Amazon rainforest as seen by the Venµs satellite – photo © CNES
Sharing the same desire to rally together scientific knowledge in a bid to better understand and combat climate change, Energy Observer and the CNES are joining forces to convey a message of hope to the general public about mankind’s ability to come up with more sustainable ways of life.
The Bahamas seen from the International Space Station during the Proxima mission – photo © ESA / NASA
Victorien Erussard, Captain and founder of Energy Observer: “The Energy Observer team is happy and proud of this prestigious and promising association with the CNES. We share the same ambitions as the CNES, which has made the fight against climate change a top priority. This partnership will allow us to benefit from scientific data and images from space, significantly strengthening our educational actions for a wide public. Today more than yesterday, it is a fundamental mission that we want to carry out. This content will enrich our travelling exhibition, our online documentation and our documentary films. These unique resources are all tools designed to help us decipher the environmental and climatic phenomena that we are observing as part of our Odyssey.”
The CNES will notably enable Energy Observer to access satellite images and scientific analysis linked to the climate and the environment, share educational material, as well as organise meetings with astronauts.
Mount Fuji in Japan as seen by the Pleiades satellite on May 16, 2012 – photo © CNES
by Energy Observer
