The French Space Agency (CNES)

Founded in 1961, the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) is the government agency responsible for shaping and implementing France's space policy in Europe.

Its task is to invent the space systems of the future, bring space technologies to maturity and guarantee France's independent access to space.

CNES is a pivotal player in Europe's space programme, and a major source of initiatives and proposals that aim to maintain France and Europe's competitive edge.

It conceives and executes space programmes with its partners in the scientific community and industry, and is closely involved in many international cooperation programmes.

For more information on the French Space Agency, visit www.cnes.fr.

SPOT Optical Satellites

SPOT (Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre, French for "Earth observation satellite") is a high-resolution, optical imaging system operating from space. This programme is part of CNES's Earth observation strategy.

Since 1986, the SPOT family of satellites has been viewing our planet and providing remarkably high-quality images. The satellites have already produced more than 10 million images.

For more information on the SPOT system, visit www.cnes.fr/spot or www.spotimage.fr.