SUMMARY

On February 1, 2023, Ambassador of France to the United States Philippe Etienne and Chairman and CEO of the French Space Agency (CNES), Philippe Baptiste, hosted the "Space Galette" at the Residence de France in Washington, D.C.. In presence of NASA Administrator, Senator Bill Nelson, Executive Secretary of the National Space Council, Chirag Parikh, and Vice Chief of Space Operations, General David D. Thompson, this reception gathered the space community to promote space cooperation and celebrate the longstanding friendship between France and the United States of America. Prior to the reception, Ambassador Etienne awarded Mr. Wiener Kernisan, President of Arianespace Inc., the Ordre national du Mérite, as a token of France’s gratitude for his great achievements for France and the French space industry.