NATIONWIDE LIFTING OF LOCKDOWN BEGINS PHASED RESUMPTION OF ON-SITE OPERATIONS AT CNES’S FOUR CENTRES

 The number of employees on site will be scaled back to ensure their safety while enabling ongoing strategic activities to be pursued and supporting the nationwide effort to engage a step-by-step easing of the lockdown restrictions. Personnel present will chiefly be those working on priority projects and operations where teleworking is no longer possible. Other personnel will continue to work from home in line with government guidance. Employees will be provided with face masks to be worn on site at all times and transmission reduction measures will continue to be applied.

An assessment has been conducted within each of the agency’s directorates to determine which operations are to resume on site from 11 May, which personnel are concerned and how their work will be organized. This assessment was carried out in close collaboration with teams on the ground, taking into account operational requirements, health constraints and employees’ individual circumstances.

Head Office, Paris Les Halles
As all operations at Head Office can be performed from a teleworking environment, the vast majority will continue to work from home. On-site exceptions will be members of senior management on an as-needed basis, the crisis units at each centre and the Defence office, and a rotating presence of staff within the Legal Affairs Directorate and the ArianeWorks platform. On average, approximately 5% of the total headcount at Head Office will be present on site.

Launch Vehicles Directorate, Paris Daumesnil
Priority projects and operations that will be resuming on site at the Launch Vehicles Directorate (DLA) are: support for current launch preparation campaigns, Ariane 5 and Vega, conformance checks for the forthcoming Vega VV16 and Ariane VA253 flights, the qualification flight and preparations for the demonstration flight of Kassav-1 on Ariane flight VA253 and development work on Ariane 6 (support to ESA, ELA4, conformance checking), Vega-C, Callisto, THEMIS at ArianeWorks and CSG-NG. On average, approximately 10% of the total headcount at Daumesnil will be present on site.

Toulouse Space Centre
Priority projects and operations that will be resuming on site at the Toulouse Space Centre (CST) are: support functions, EyeSat, Climat 2020, the Strateole stratospheric balloon flight campaign, Taranis, MMX, SVOM, PHARAO, MTB-2, NɛSS, GSA activities, CERES, ANGELS, MicroCarb, CSO-2, IASI NG, Argos and measurement quality checking for missions operated by CNES. On average, approximately 25% of the total headcount at the CST will be present on site.

Guiana Space Centre
Priority projects and operations that will be resuming on site at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) are: the Vega VV16 and Ariane VA253 launch campaigns and the arrival of teams who will be observing a strict 14-day quarantine from 11 and 25 May respectively, the QM2 test of the P120C solid booster on the BEAP test stand, launch base sustainment operations, Ariane 6 infrastructure construction work including ELA4 with the arrival of teams who will be observing a strict 14-day quarantine from 25 May, the Titan, Odyssée and Pandora construction sites, handling of the arrival of the ship MN Toucan, range safety training with a limited number of people to ensure proper social distancing, and acquisition of environmental readings on the base. On average, approximately 25% of the total headcount at the CSG will be present on site.

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In strict accordance with government guidance, CNES is already preparing for the next steps in the process that will enable an easing of restrictions and a scaling back of teleworking so that all personnel are able to reconnect with colleagues in the office as soon as feasible.

CONTACTS         
Pascale Bresson    Press Officer    Tel. +33 (0)1 44 76 75 39    pascale.bresson@cnes.fr
Raphaël Sart    Press Officer    Tel. +33 (0)1 44 76 74 51    raphael.sart@cnes.fr

cp056-2020_-_cnes_-_reprise_des_activites_sur_site_va.pdf (pdf - 310.46 KB)