Jacques Émile Blamont (; 13 October 1926 – 13 April 2020) was a French
astrophysicist,
author and the founder scientific and technical director of
National Centre for Space Studies (CNES-Centre national d'études spatiales), known to have contributed to the development of
Veronique, the first rocket launched by France in 1957.
He was an elected fellow of the
French Academy of Technologies
The National Academy of Technologies of France (''Académie des technologies'') is a learned society, founded in 2000, with an emphasis on technology, and the newest of French academies. In 2007 it acquired the status of ''établissement public'', ...
and a professor emeritus of the
Pierre and Marie Curie University
Pierre and Marie Curie University ( , UPMC), also known as Paris VI, was a public research university in Paris, France, from 1971 to 2017. The university was located on the Jussieu Campus in the Latin Quarter of the 5th arrondissement of Paris, ...
(University of Paris VI).
Blamont was a recipient of several national honours such as
Commander of the Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
, the third highest French civilian honour,
Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit, the second highest French civilian honour,
Commander of the Academic Palms,
Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit, the highest French civilian honour,
President's Silver Medal,
Soviet Order of Friendship of Peoples and
Padma Shri
The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.
Blamont died on 13 April 2020 in
Châtillon, Hauts-de-Seine
Châtillon () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
The town was formerly named ''Châtillon-sous-Bagneux'', and a relic of this denomination remains in at least one road sign in Va ...
, aged 93.
Biography
Jacques Blamont was born in Paris in France on 13 October 1926
and did his studies at the
École Normale Supérieure
École or Ecole may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by Secondary education in France, secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing i ...
where he came in contact with the
Nobel laureate
The Nobel Prizes (, ) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in th ...
,
Alfred Kastler
Alfred Kastler (; 3 May 1902 – 7 January 1984) was a German-born French physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics. He is known for the development of optical pumping.
Biography
Kastler was born in Guebwiller (Alsace, at the time part of the Germ ...
, who was serving the institution as a professorial chair.
He graduated from
École Normale Supérieure
École or Ecole may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by Secondary education in France, secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing i ...
in 1948
and continued his studies at the
National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) as an associate of physical sciences.
In 1952, he reunited with Alfred Kastler in research on ''atomic coherence phenomenon'' and secured his doctoral degree (
Doctor of Science
A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world.
Africa
Algeria and Morocco
In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...
) under his guidance in 1956.
Blamont continued at
CNRS
The French National Centre for Scientific Research (, , CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe.
In 2016, it employed 31,637 staff, including 11,137 tenured researchers, 13,415 eng ...
for a year more as a research fellow
and joined the Aeronomy Service of the institution in 1957 where he became the deputy director in 1958.
In 1961, he was promoted as the director, a post he held till 1985.
He worked in many capacities during his stay with CNES, as a Scientific and Technical Director (1962–1972), as Top Scientific Advisor (1972–1982) and as an advisor to the President of CNES
from 1982.
During this period, he served the
Pierre and Marie Curie University
Pierre and Marie Curie University ( , UPMC), also known as Paris VI, was a public research university in Paris, France, from 1971 to 2017. The university was located on the Jussieu Campus in the Latin Quarter of the 5th arrondissement of Paris, ...
as a professor without chair from 1957 to 1961, as a full professor from 1962 to 1996 and as a professor emeritus from there on.
He also worked as a research director at
École Militaire
École or Ecole may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France
* Éco ...
(Joint Defence College).
He was made the first
Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (12 August 1919 – 30 December 1971) was an Indian physicist and astronomer who initiated space research and helped to develop nuclear power in India. Often regarded as the "''Father of Indian space program''", Sar ...
professor at the
Physical Research Laboratory in 1977,
a visiting professor at the
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes ...
in 1985 and a distinguished visiting scientist at
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) in La Cañada Flintridge, California, Crescenta Valley, United States. Founded in 1936 by Cali ...
during 1980–2001.
He was a member of
International Academy of Astronautics
The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) is a Paris-based non-government association for the field of astronautics. It was founded in Stockholm, Sweden) on August 16, 1960, by Dr. Theodore von Kármán. It was recognised by the United Nation ...
(1969),
Indian National Science Academy
The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) is a national academy in New Delhi
New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three b ...
(1978),
National Academy of Sciences, USA (1980),
Air and Space Academy (1983),
Academia Europaea
The Academia Europaea is a pan-European Academy of humanities, letters, law, and sciences.
The Academia was founded in 1988 as a functioning Europe-wide Academy that encompasses all fields of scholarly inquiry. It acts as co-ordinator of Europe ...
(1989),
Academy of Technology (2000),
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...
and the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...
(2002).
He was also a member of the advisory council of the Planetary Society.
Legacy

Blamont was one of the pioneers of French space programme
and his efforts were reported in the establishment of
CNES
CNES () is the French national space agency. Headquartered in central Paris, the agency is overseen by the ministries of the Armed Forces, Economy and Finance and Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
It operates from the Toulouse Spac ...
, the French Space Agency, in 1962.
He was known to have contributed to the launch of the first French rocket,
Véronique,
in 1957.
He was one of the founders of Service d’aéronomie du CNRS, (Aeronomy Service of
Centre national de la recherche scientifique
The French National Centre for Scientific Research (, , CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe.
In 2016, it employed 31,637 staff, including 11,137 tenured researchers, 13,415 eng ...
) and was its director from 1958 to 1985.
He participated, as a member of the steering groups,
in several global space missions such as the
Voyager and
Pioneer-Venus of
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
and
Vega mission of the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
to
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
and
Halley's Comet
Halley's Comet is the only known List of periodic comets, short-period comet that is consistently visible to the naked eye from Earth, appearing every 72–80 years, though with the majority of recorded apparitions (25 of 30) occurring after ...
and acted as the chief investigator of the
Phobos program
The Phobos program () was an uncrewed space mission consisting of two probes launched by the Soviet Union to study Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appeara ...
of the
USSR
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
.
He assisted
Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (12 August 1919 – 30 December 1971) was an Indian physicist and astronomer who initiated space research and helped to develop nuclear power in India. Often regarded as the "''Father of Indian space program''", Sar ...
in the establishment of the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) which later grew to become the present day
Indian Space Research Organization
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO ) is India's national space agency, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It serves as the principal research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), overseen by the Prime Minister o ...
(ISRO)
and played a part in providing the payload for the first two Indian rocket launches in 1963 and 1964.
Blamont was credited with the discovery of
turbopause
The turbopause, also called the homopause, marks the altitude in an atmosphere below which turbulent mixing dominates. Mathematically, it is defined as the point where the coefficient of Eddy diffusion is equal to the coefficient of molecular dif ...
in 1959, the
interstellar wind in 1970, the
hydrogen envelope of comets in 1971 and the polar
noctilucent cloud
Noctilucent clouds (NLCs), or night shining clouds, are tenuous cloud-like phenomena in the upper atmosphere of Earth. When viewed from space, they are called polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs), detectable as a diffuse scattering layer of water ice ...
s in 1973.
He was known to have made the measurement of the temperature of the neutral atmosphere from 100 to 500 km, the dynamic parameters of the
mesopause region, and
Einstein's general relativity redshift
In physics, a redshift is an increase in the wavelength, and corresponding decrease in the frequency and photon energy, of electromagnetic radiation (such as light). The opposite change, a decrease in wavelength and increase in frequency and e ...
on the Sun for the first time.
He was the head of the group which introduced scientific ballooning and
Lidar
Lidar (, also LIDAR, an acronym of "light detection and ranging" or "laser imaging, detection, and ranging") is a method for determining ranging, ranges by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected li ...
technology for atmospheric probing in Europe.
The image compression device developed by Blamont
is in use with various space agencies for planetary missions around the Moon, Mars and
Titan
Titan most often refers to:
* Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn
* Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology
Titan or Titans may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Fictional entities
Fictional locations
* Titan in fiction, fictiona ...
.
He also contributed to the establishment of a launch range, in
Kourou, French Guiana.
Blamont, besides writing several articles on science, authored four books,
viz. ''Vénus dévoilée, Voyage autour d'une planète'' (Venus Unveiled – 1987),
''Le Chiffre et le Songe, Histoire politique de la découverte'' (The Digit and the – 1993),
''Le Lion et le Moucheron, Histoire des Marranes de Toulouse'' (The Lion and the Midge – 2000)
and ''Introduction au Siècle des Menaces'' (Introduction to the Age of Menaces – 2004).
He also mentored 80 research scholars in their doctoral research.
Awards and recognition
Blamont received three of the highest French civilian honours,
Commander of the Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
,
Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit and
Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit apart from the honour of the
Commander of the Order of Academic Palms and the Silver Medal from the
President of the French Republic
The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is the supreme magistracy of the country, the pos ...
in 1967.
He received the
Soviet Order of Friendship of Peoples from the erstwhile
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
in 1989
and the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
awarded him the fourth highest Indian civilian award of
Padma Shri
The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
in 2015.
He was a winner of NASA awards twice,
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 1972
and
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
Distinguished Service Medal in 2000
and the
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...
honoured him two times, Leon Grelaud Prize in 1960 and
Prix Paul Doistau–Émile Blutet in 1967.
The
Academy of Sciences of the USSR
The Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union was the highest scientific institution of the Soviet Union from 1925 to 1991. It united the country's leading scientists and was subordinated directly to the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (u ...
and the
Indian Space Research Organization
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO ) is India's national space agency, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It serves as the principal research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), overseen by the Prime Minister o ...
awarded him the
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who, aboard the first successful Human spaceflight, crewed sp ...
Medal in 1985
and the
Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (12 August 1919 – 30 December 1971) was an Indian physicist and astronomer who initiated space research and helped to develop nuclear power in India. Often regarded as the "''Father of Indian space program''", Sar ...
Medal in 1994 respectively.
He won three awards from the
International Academy of Astronautics
The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) is a Paris-based non-government association for the field of astronautics. It was founded in Stockholm, Sweden) on August 16, 1960, by Dr. Theodore von Kármán. It was recognised by the United Nation ...
, Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Award in 1967, Guggenheim Medal in 1986 and Von Karman Award in 1989.
He was also a recipient of Rovel H. Prize from the Faculty of Paris in 1957, Aimé Cotton prize of the French Physical Society in 1960,
CNES
CNES () is the French national space agency. Headquartered in central Paris, the agency is overseen by the ministries of the Armed Forces, Economy and Finance and Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
It operates from the Toulouse Spac ...
Vermeil medal in 1967, Spie prize,
French Roberval Prize in 1993,
Gold Medal of the Guiana Space Center in 1995, George N. Goddard Award from the
International Society for Optical Engineering in 1997,
Committee on Space Research
The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) was established on October 3, 1958 by the International Council for Scientific Unions (ICSU) and its first chair was Hildegard Korf Kallmann-Bijl. Among COSPAR's objectives are the promotion of scienti ...
(COSPAR) Space Science Award in 2004
and
Prix International d'Astronautique (International Astronautics Prize), formerly known as
Prix REP-Hirsch in 2019.
Award gallery
Padma Shri India IIIe Klasse.jpg, Padma Shri India
Chevalier légion d'honneur 2.png, Commander of the Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
Mérite national officier FRANCE.jpg, Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit
Commandeur de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques avers.jpg, Commander of the Academic Palms
Grand-Croix de l'Ordre National du Merite.jpg, Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit
Orden De La Amistad De Los Pueblos.png, Soviet Order of Friendship of Peoples
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blamont, Jacques
1926 births
2020 deaths
French astrophysicists
French science writers
Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering
Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples
Members of the French Academy of Sciences
Foreign fellows of the Indian National Science Academy
Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences
20th-century French physicists
21st-century French physicists
20th-century French male writers
21st-century French male writers
20th-century French non-fiction writers
21st-century French non-fiction writers
French male non-fiction writers
Members of Academia Europaea