“Why the conquest of space?” with Fabrice Nicot

Why the space conquest? by Fabrice Nicot and Elodie Perrotin, stareditions of Ricochet (to read from 12 years old).

Why the space conquest? This documentary book is selected for the 13th edition of the award The taste of science Youth, proposed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation: “Each year, this prize distinguishes the best publications of scientific mediation, intended for the greatest number. The objective is to affirm the importance of scientific culture, but also to promote the work of researchers and to encourage vocations .”

It comes in an “adult” Prize and a “youth” Prize. This last category rewards a book intended for 9-13 year olds and will be awarded on June 28th.

Why the space conquest? mentions the many challenges of the conquest spatial. They are political, strategic, scientific, ecological, without forgetting the question from tourism, very at the fashion currently.

Fabrice Nicot tells us what he thinks: “It’s strange because you would have asked me this question a few years ago, I would have said to you: but no, it is not possible. And there, obviously, Jeff Bezos has met with some success by offering people the possibility of going a hundred kilometers, that’s where space begins. Especially it is there, where we see the roundness of the Earth and we float.

And for a few million dollars, you treat yourself to a ride that lasts 15 minutes, but which pollutes at considerable levels. It has nothing to do with science or humanity. Really, it is not tenable on a large scale. We can’t imagine a kind of “Disneyland” where we would go like that… I don’t know if it’s not a little fad. We’ll calm down as we realize we might have other things to do in space.”

In revenge, dream to go still more far, dream of this big unknown what is space and discover others possibilities of life far from system solar, why not?

“Let’s dream a little, but let’s dream reasonable.”

Fabrice Nicot

at franceinfo

“That is to say, the great event in astronomy of the last 30 years, add the author, it is the discovery of planets around other suns than ours. So that means that there are plenty of solar systems and therefore as many worlds to explore.

James Arnould, ethics expert at CNES said that if you want to go to a solar system, even the closest one, it’s a huge ship and 200 years of travel. Basically, the people who will leave Earth are not the people who will set foot on this distant planet. So there, we can say: yes, there it is, it’s science fiction, etc., but it’s not impossible! It will take enormous resources, it’s a planetary collaboration, but we would know how to make a ship, a kind of ark like that that would go away…

And when in time, after all, the builders of cathedrals, those who started Notre-Dame, never saw Notre-Dame finished, since it is approximately this time scale, and wanting to conquer solar systems distant, it would finally be reconnecting with the time of the builders of cathedrals. And so, why not!”.

Fabrice Nicot is journalist scientific, keen by astronomy. A passion that he knows very well how to transmit. So good luck for the Le Taste des Sciences jeunesse prize which will be returned on June 28th!

Find lots of other reading ideas on the website of kibookin. For all ages and for all tastes, no more excuses for not finding your nugget to read!