Association Planète Mars

What Association Planète Mars does

Association Plan\u00e8te Mars (APM) is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 1999 and headquartered at the Maison des Associations du 14\u00e8me in Paris. It operates as the French chapter of the Mars Society, founded in the United States the previous year, and adapts the parent organization's Mars advocacy mission to the French and European scientific and policy context. APM's mission is to promote human and robotic exploration of Mars, advocate for French and European participation in Mars programs, and serve as a think-tank engaging with political and institutional decision-makers. Its core products and content assets include the Wiki Missions Martiennes Habit\u00e9es (a comprehensive French-language knowledge base on crewed Mars mission science and technology), quarterly bulletins (104 issues published through January 2026), the annual European Mars Conference (EMC), the Les Cl\u00e9s de Mars video series on YouTube, member-authored books published via Dunod and other publishers, and exhibition and speaking services delivered to schools, cultural associations, and conferences.

The association operates on a membership-based revenue model with three tiers: standard membership at \u20ac35/year, reduced-rate membership at \u20ac20/year for students and under-25s, and benefactor membership starting at \u20ac85/year. Conference revenue is generated through the EMC, with 2025 fees structured at \u20ac20 (students), \u20ac40 (general reduced-rate), and \u20ac80 (on-site). Distribution channels include HelloAsso for membership enrollment, Eventbrite for conference tickets, the association's website and YouTube channel for content, and partnerships with Forum Conqu\u00eate Spatiale for community engagement. APM serves three primary customer segments: space exploration enthusiasts and individual supporters (the primary segment), the scientific and institutional community (ESA, CNES, CNRS researchers and university faculty), and event organizers, media, and educational institutions that contract APM for exhibitions and lectures. Leadership comprises Jean-Marc Salotti (President), Philippe Clermont (Vice-President), Maxime Bary (Secretary), and Etienne Martinache (Treasurer), supported by a board of administrators and a European coordination lead.

Name

Association Planète Mars

Legal name

Association Planète Mars

Website

https://planete-mars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Association Plan\u00e8te Mars is a French non-profit founded in 1999 as the French chapter of the Mars Society, promoting Mars exploration through a wiki, quarterly bulletins, the annual European Mars Conference, video content, and exhibitions for space enthusiasts, researchers, and educators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Advocacy and Science Education

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE), Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Space exploration advocacy
• Planetary science education
• Scientific publication services
• Space conference organization
• Mars analog research

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Association Planète Mars is a French non-profit association that promotes crewed Mars exploration through educational outreach, scientific publications, conferences, and advocacy. It runs a comprehensive Wiki on crewed Mars missions, publishes quarterly bulletins and member-authored books, organizes the annual European Mars Conference, delivers exhibitions and expert speakers to schools and cultural venues, and participates in Mars analog simulations.

Product overview

Association Planète Mars is a French non-profit organization (association loi 1901) affiliated with the Mars Society, dedicated to promoting Mars exploration. The organization offers educational and outreach products including quarterly bulletins, an annual European Mars Conference, a comprehensive wiki on crewed Mars missions, member-authored publications, video content series, and exhibition/conference services. These offerings serve to inform and engage the public, students, and professionals in space exploration topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quarterly Bulletins Quarterly bulletins covering Mars exploration topics, mission updates, and technical analyses; recent issues reserved for paying members while older bulletins are publicly accessible.
• European Mars Conference (EMC) Annual international conference organized by APM that brings together European Mars Society chapters, ESA, CNES, CNRS experts, and space exploration specialists to discuss Mars exploration science and technology; tickets sold online via Eventbrite and on-site.
• Wiki Missions Martiennes Habitées

Quantifiable outcome

• The EMC 2025 conference proceedings were published in the HAL open-access database (https://hal.science/hal-05390036v2), making the association's conference outputs permanently accessible to the scientific community.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mars SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Mars Society is the parent organization founded in the United States in 1998. Association Planète Mars was created in 1999 as the French chapter of the Mars Society. Planète Mars aligns with and supports Mars Society's views and actions while adapting them to the French and European cultural and political context. French members of the Mars Society constitute the French section within the association.
• European Mars Society ChapterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation Planète Mars collaborates with Mars Society chapters across Europe including Switzerland (Mars Society Switzerland), Belgium (Mars Society Belgium), Italy (Mars Planet Technologies / MPT), Austria (Austrian Space Forum / OeWF), Poland (University of Warsaw), and Ukraine (Mars Society Ukraine). The European Mars Conference brings these chapters together annually to present their activities and coordinate on Mars exploration advocacy.
• European Space Agency (ESA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA experts participate in Association Planète Mars events, including the European Mars Conference. ESA representatives have presented projects and initiatives aligned with Mars exploration, such as the Spaceship fr project and the Melissa life support system program.
• Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNES, the French national space agency, participates in Association Planète Mars events. The Spaceship fr project (French branch of a European network developing technological building blocks for crewed lunar bases as Mars testbeds) was presented at EMC 2025 by Alexis Paillet of CNES.
• Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNRS researchers participate in Association Planète Mars conferences and activities. Jean-Luc Morel (CNRS researcher) is a project lead for CAP BIOSPACE, a national interdisciplinary training program in space biology-health that involves CNRS as a partner institution.
• CAP BIOSPACE ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation Planète Mars is involved in the CAP BIOSPACE project (2025-2030, 8.41 M€ total budget, 4 M€ financing from France 2030 / ANR). The 17-partner consortium includes Université de Bordeaux (lead), Way4Space, multiple French universities, CNRS, IFREMER, MEDES, Ethospace, and Sorbonne Université. The project aims to structure a national interdisciplinary training program in space biology-health.
• Université de BordeauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversité de Bordeaux is the lead institution and host of the CAP BIOSPACE project, a national training program in space biology and health. Jean-Marc Salotti, President of Association Planète Mars, is affiliated with the École Nationale Supérieure de Cognitique at Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux.
• Way4SpaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWay4Space is a space innovation and inspiration center in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and a partner in the CAP BIOSPACE consortium. It facilitates connections between students and the space industry, including in the context of space biology training programs.
• Austrian Space Forum (OeWF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Austrian Space Forum organizes international Mars analog missions (such as AMADEE-27 planned for April 2027 in Portugal) and presented its analog mission activities at the European Mars Conference organized by Association Planète Mars. Gernot Grömer, OeWF director, participated in EMC 2025.
• MEDES (Institut de Médecine et de Physiologie Spatiales)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEDES, the French institute for space medicine and physiology, is a partner in the CAP BIOSPACE consortium. It is involved in training programs for life support systems and space health, with its facilities used for student visits as part of the CAP BIOSPACE program.
• IFREMERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) is a consortium partner in the CAP BIOSPACE program, contributing expertise on extreme environments relevant to space biology and life support systems.
• Mars Planet Technologies (MPT) — Italian ChapterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMars Planet Technologies, the Italian chapter of the Mars Society, presented its industrial vision and consulting activities at EMC 2025, including the Seriana Space Valley ecosystem project centered on the Seriana Institute for Space Exploration and Innovation (SISEI), founded in July 2025.
• Mars Society SwitzerlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMars Society Switzerland was founded in 2010 by Pierre Brisson (also an APM administrator). Pierre Brisson presented criteria for optimizing the location of the first Mars habitats at EMC 2025.
• ESA Melissa ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ESA Melissa project (functional ecology project developing regenerative life support systems) was presented at EMC 2025. Demonstration units have been tested in space, and a pilot plant at Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona integrates and tests the developed technology modules over durations of several months.
• Mars Society BelgiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMars Society Belgium participated in EMC 2025 and presented its involvement in educational activities conducted at the EuroSpace Center.
• Forum Conquête SpatialeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForum Conquête Spatiale is a partner of Association Planète Mars. The forum serves as a platform for technical discussions on space exploration, and Planète Mars directs members and visitors to this forum for in-depth conversations on Mars-related topics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Austrian Space Forum (OeWF): An Austrian space research organization that organizes international Mars analog missions (e.g., AMADEE-27 in Portugal) and presented at EMC 2025. Comparable in Mars analog mission focus and European policy outreach, with a more research-oriented (vs. advocacy) mission.
• Forum Conquête Spatiale: A partner online forum for technical discussions on space exploration to which APM directs members. Comparable as a French-language space community platform; complementary rather than directly competing.

Broad incumbents

• European Space Agency (ESA): Europe's intergovernmental space agency whose experts (Melissa, Spaceship FR) participate in APM events. A broader incumbent partner/convener whose priorities shape the demand for APM's advocacy content.
• The Planetary Society: The world's largest space advocacy non-profit, founded 1980. Comparable as a membership-based space exploration advocacy organization publishing content and engaging policy makers, though operating at far greater scale and broader scope (not Mars-only).
• CNES: The French national space agency whose representatives (e.g., Alexis Paillet on Spaceship FR) participate in APM conferences. Comparable as a major French institutional actor whose Mars-relevant programs (Spaceship FR) intersect directly with APM's content focus.

Direct peers

• Mars Planet Technologies (Mars Society Italy): Italian Mars Society chapter with an industrial/consulting focus (Seriana Space Valley ecosystem). Comparable as a European chapter operating in the same Mars advocacy space with related conference and outreach activities.
• National Space Society: US-based space advocacy non-profit promoting human spaceflight settlement. Comparable to APM as a membership-based advocacy organization with conferences, publications, and policy engagement in the broader human spaceflight (including Mars) domain.
• The Mars Society: The US parent organization founded in 1998 of which Association Planète Mars is the French chapter. Directly comparable in mission (Mars exploration advocacy), structure (membership non-profit), and products (conferences, publications, analog missions).
• Mars Society Belgium: Belgian chapter of the Mars Society, presenting at EMC 2025 and running educational programs at the EuroSpace Center. Comparable as a peer European chapter with similar advocacy, education, and event focus.
• Mars Society Switzerland: A European Mars Society chapter (founded 2010 by APM administrator Pierre Brisson) collaborating with APM on the European Mars Conference and Mars analog research. Directly comparable as a sibling national advocacy chapter.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AssoPlaneteMars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-planete-mars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association Planète Mars