1. Alan Gabriel From Verrière to Orsay Director (from LPSP to IAS) 1985-1997

2. Before Allan… • Mars 1984 Jean-Pierre Bibring and Richard Gispert “invent” IAS and came to me with the IAS concept: • a integration and calibration national facility using the LURE sources for UV and X rays moving the test tank which was at ONERA, Meudon • a new Institute integrated in the University with the technical teams serving new astronomy fields coming to space observations (inter-planetary and planetary science, long wavelengths from mid IR to submillimeter) • bringing two new teams from CSNSM (Jean-Pierre and Yves) and ENS • Mars 20 84, Michel Petit director INAG-TOAE creates a commission explore this idea- L. Abouaf, H. Bernas, Durup, R. Gispert, J-L. Lemaire, P. Lena, R. Pellat, J-L. Puget (Pt) he also asks Alain Souflot to carry technical study • the next INAG-INSU directorAndréBerroir also supported strongly the project • CNRS, CNES, Paris XI discussions René PellatPt section 18, Hubert CoudanePt Paris XI, Jacques-Louis Lions Pt CNES Hubert CurienMinistre de la recherche et de l’ES • this leads to an “inter-ministérielle” in June 85 giving the green light for IAS

3. Allan comes in… • Roger Bonnet leaves LPSP to become Scientific Director at ESA in 1983 • Philippe Lemaire takes position as interim director • October 1985 Allan is candidate to become director of LPSP and of the future IAS • he is nominated in October and takes his function in January 86, Richard Gispert is deputy director • at that time IAS is decided • there are in LPSP: 18 scientists, 65 ITA, 1 PhD student • LPSP

4. LPSP 86-89 plans and construction • detailed plans (CNRS architect) Allan, Richard and Philippe Salvetat do the design of the two buildings • A small group is a prefiguration of IAS wityafew offices in the building 105 • April 89 Allan create the “GroupeOrsay” to manage the construction • Allan Pt, Richard deputy, J.P. Bibring (solar system team), P. Lemaire, J.C. Vial (solar-stellar physics team), J.L. P. (galaxies physics) • S. Cazes, J. Charra, G. Guyot, P. Boutry) technical team) • Calibration facility P. Salvetat • the construction of the first building starts

5. IAS is formally createdAllan director of IAS 1st term 1990-1993: spilt between Verrière and Orsay: • 1st January 1990, “LPSP is dead, long life to IAS” Allan is now director of IAS • « L’IAS a vocation à développer et/ou exploiter des expériences en astrophysique et plus particulièrement celles qui utilisent des porteurs spatiaux. Dans la mesure de ses moyens et quand les techniques qu’il possède leur seront adaptées, il pourra étendre ses activités à d’autres parties des sciences de l’Univers. L’IAS a aussi la vocation d’assurer des tâches d’enseignement. L’IAS gère une Station d’Etalonnage, à vocation nationale, des expériences spatiales ». • 30 scientists with the new teams` • April 90 the calibration facility building is finished • the MeudonOnera and Orsay team moves into the new building

6. IAS in Orsay • the institute building is “almost completed”in April 1992 (plans were end of 1991, not so bad !) • everybody moved in May 9th 1992 • the funding was not enough to cover the full buiding as designed (the 3rd floor was not built) • science was on going at increasing speed and number of people • Allan started immediately requesting funds from the “collectivité locales” to built the 3rd floor… and he got it !! • ISO, SOHO,

7. use of the calibration and operation facilities1990-1997 and beyond… • 3 major ESA observatories instruments were calibrated in Orsay • ISOCAM is calibrated in Orsay but did not use the LURE beams (launched 1995) • the first two cornerstones of Horizon 2000: • SOHO will use intensively the UV URES beams (lanched Dec 1995) • XMM later used the X ray beams especially to calibrate the spectral response (launched December 1999) • OMEGA-MARS express (launched 2003) +several planetary experiments were also calibrated in Orsay • during this period we also initiated Planck and COROT resônding to the CNES AO for small missions and the ESA AO for M3

8. 1994-1997 Allan’s durector second termIAS grows… • construction of the 3rd floor of the institute • fast increase of the number of scientists (CNRS and university professors), students, post docs • teaching: DEA and DESS (astronomy et techniques spatiales