Three areas of research /// Application to industry and communication

Epistemology of industrial technologies /// Formulating design paradigm for technical research

Knowledge management /// Capturing, making available and capitalising for the future

Digital communication for sciences and engineering /// Opening knowledge to the World citizens

 

Project history

ExplorNova results from a conceptual work on the design history of the Herschel space observatory, undertaken in 2010 at CEA Saclay. The original project was conceived by Vincent Minier, astrophysicist engaged in the Herschel mission and in charge of www.herschel.fr, and Vincent Bontems, philosopher leading the Atelier Simondon in Paris and research in epistemology of techniques and innovation.

 

ExplorNova team

ExplorNova, including epistemology and digital technology for managing and communication knowledge, associates many partners, first engaged together in the 2011 public exhibition “Voyages planétaires” in Nantes, led by LPGNantes. ExplorNova is structured around two regional poles, one at CEA Saclay and one at University of Nantes, both including researchers in space sciences and epistemology.

 

CEA/IRFU/SAp & UMR AIM Paris Saclay (Vincent Minier - project leader)

CEA/IRFU/Larsim (Vincent Bontems)

CEA/IRFU/Sédi (Thierry Morin)

CEA/DEN/DPC/SEARS/LANIE (Jean-Luc Lacour)

Université de Nantes, Centre François Viète (Stéphane Tirard - coordinator, regional project)

Université de Nantes, LPGNantes - UMR CNRS 6112 (Olivier Grasset)

Université de Nantes, iRéalité-Capacités (Francky Trichet)

CNES, Toulouse (Daniel Galarreta)

Ecole centrale de Nantes, IRCCyN (Florent Laroche)

Mission régionale de sauvegarde du patrimoine scientifique et technique contemporain (Catherine Cuenca)

Pacorama - Création vidéo et motion design (Paco Abelleira)

Planétarium de Nantes (Véronique Dubois)

Société d'astronomie de Nantes (Daniel Woehrling)

Stereolux, Laboratoire Arts et Technologies (Lucile Colombain)

 

Partners & collaboration

Besides CEA Irfu and Université de Nantes, ExplorNova includes Ecole centrale de Nantes/IRCCyN, PATSTEC mission and Musée des Arts et Métiers on technical heritage, Planétarium and Société d’Astronomie de Nantes for public outreach, and specific collaboration with CNES on knowledge management of space techniques, Capacités SAS/iRéalité on digital technologies and Stereolux on digital arts.

 

Funding schemes

The ExplorNova project is externally funded at various levels in France, by the Region Pays de la Loire, by Idex Paris Saclay – PEPS CNRS, and by CNES. The project is hosted at the International Space Science Institute, in Bern, Switzerland, where a working group on space mission design meets twice a year.