“It is vital that we keep a peaceful use of space”Hervé Grandjean, spokesperson for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, declared Tuesday, November 16 on franceinfo, after the destruction by the Russians of one of their satellites during a test firing, which generated debris threatening the Space Station international. “It is an irresponsible, destabilizing and dangerous attitude”, he estimated, joining the words of the Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly who denounced a little earlier “space wreckers.”
Space is a common good, that of the 7.7 billion inhabitants of our planet. Space raiders have an overwhelming responsibility in generating debris that pollutes and puts our astronauts and satellites in danger.
– Florence Parly (@florence_parly) November 16, 2021
For Hervé Grandjean, this act is not necessarily proof that Russia is developing new weapon systems, but it is “an act of affirmation of power. There is a desire for confrontation against which we stand up, since on the contrary we want space to be a peaceful place.”
The debris caused by this shot will remain “for many, many years in space”, which generates “Risks to the safety of satellites and people who are in manned flights like the ISS.” Hervé Grandjean recalled the commitment of France and a large number of countries to reduce space pollution, “There is a United Nations General Assembly resolution passed in 2020, but not by Russia.”
Satellites find themselves increasingly threatened by increasing debris in space, and France “needs these satellites”, insisted the spokesperson for the Armed Forces. “We need it for military operations, but also for our economy, when we need to geolocate or book vacations, order a pizza”.
“It is as if there were a thousand pétanque balls floating between two waters on the Atlantic Ocean.”
Hervé Grandjean, spokesperson for the French Ministry of the Armed Forcesto franceinfo
The recovery of this waste is also a concern put forward by the Ministry of the Armed Forces even if no “collection campaign” is yet scheduled. “It is not necessarily very easy, there may be devices that exist with nets, but we will already try to follow this debris, to map it precisely.” He recalls that the risk of collision is low but it exists, with small debris between a centimeter and a meter.
On the question of a possible diplomatic sanction against Russia, Hervé Grandjean remained very cautious, but recalls “a condemnation with the greatest firmness.”