Yves Sillard (born 1936) is a French aerospace engineer who served as director‑general of the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), the French national space agency, from the late 1970s until the early 1980s.
Education and early career
Sillard is a graduate of the École Polytechnique and subsequently attended the École nationale de l'aviation civile (Supaero), where he received training in aeronautical engineering. He began his professional career in the French aerospace sector, working on early missile and satellite projects.
Leadership at CNES
Appointed director‑general of CNES in 1976, Sillard oversaw the development and launch of several French satellite programmes, including the early Ariane launch vehicle series. Under his administration, CNES expanded its collaborations with European partners and contributed to the establishment of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) launch capability.
Later activities
After leaving CNES, Sillard held senior positions in French governmental and industrial bodies related to aerospace and defence. He has authored multiple works on the history of space exploration and the French space programme.
Publications
Among his published works are several books and articles detailing the evolution of French rocketry and satellite technology.
Note: Specific personal details such as exact birth date and post‑CNES appointments are not comprehensively documented in publicly available encyclopedic sources.
