Hubert Curien, 80; Headed European, French Space Agencies

Hubert Curien, 80, former head of French and European space agencies who oversaw launch of the Ariane series of rockets, died Sunday of heart failure at his home in Loury, France. He also had a home in Paris.

Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin called Curien the “main craftsman of French space policy.” As president of France’s National Center for Space Studies from 1976 to 1984, Curien oversaw the first Ariane launch in 1979. He also headed the European Space Agency, from 1981 to 1984. The Ariane was developed into a family of launchers and became a major commercial product in the international market.

Curien also served as cabinet minister for research from 1984 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1993, and for the following three years headed the European Organization for Nuclear Research. He was elected to the Science Academy in 1993 and became its president, and also received the Legion of Honor, France’s most prestigious award.

A native of Cornimont, Curien fought in the resistance during the Nazi occupation of France in World War II. After the war, he graduated from the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris and then taught at the Science Institute and was a director of France’s National Center of Scientific Research.