the great bazaar of objects sent into orbit

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Video length: 2 min.

France 2

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F.Vallet, R.Schapira, J.-M.Mier, P.Brame, D.Chevalier – France 2

France Televisions

Since the beginning of the space conquest, man has sent a space station, satellites, but also messages of all kinds into orbit. The latest, a digitized speech by Pope Francis via Space X, will depart Monday, June 12. A big mess that does not reassure about our ability to pollute…

The digitized speech of Pope Francis recorded in Saint Peter’s Square in Rome (Italy), in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, will be sent into space. Embedded in a small satellite, it should take off Monday, June 12 from California (United States), aboard a Space X rocket. It will be put into orbit 525 km from Earth. “It is essentially, it seems to me, communication for the attention of humans, who for various and varied reasons have always been at war with each other. Space has a peaceful role”analyzes Gilles Dawidowicz, vice-president of the astronomical society of France.

Space, the big dustbin of tomorrow?

Since the beginning of the space conquest, man has sent a multitude of objects into space: two golf balls on the Moon, a work of art in orbit around Mars or the ashes of James Doohan, actor of StarTrek. A disc sent to possible extraterrestrials also gave the position of the Earth.

More commercial, Elon Musk’s Tesla car, which left five years ago, now evolves between Earth and Mars. Some companies even send objects on board rockets to then resell them on Earth. “The basic rule is that space is free for use and exploration by the States. The State has an increasingly important mission, so perhaps to look a little bit at the ethical value of a mission, and not to approve everything and anything”, says Tanja Masson-Zwaan, professor of space law at the University of Liden (Netherlands). The United Nations calls for the strengthening of this right.


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