Displaying items by tag: CNES

TARANIS is a CNES microsatellite mission, proposed by LPCE (Laboratoire de Physique et de Chimie de l'Environnement), and CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique) of France in collaboration with institutions from USA, Denmark, Japan, the Czech Republic and Poland. The TARANIS mission is devoted to the study of transient event energetic mechanisms that generate transient luminous emissions and gamma ray flashes in the terrestrial atmosphere above the thunderstorm areas. These emissions are a manifestation of a coupling between atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere via intense transitory processes implying avalanching relativistic electrons with energies up to 30 MeV.

Note: In ancient mythology, TARANIS was the Gallic god of thunder and lightning.

The Guiana Space Centre (French: Centre Spatial Guyanais - CSG) is a French spaceport near Kourou in French Guiana.

Operational since 1968, it is particularly suitable as a location for a spaceport due to its proximity to the equator, and that launches are in a favourable direction over water. The European Space Agency (ESA), the French space agency CNES, and the commercial Arianespace company conduct launches from Kourou. This is the spaceport used to by ESA to send supplies to the International Space Station.