Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

  collectSPACE: Messages
  Space Explorers & Workers
  Jacques Tiziou, space journalist (1939-2017)

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Jacques Tiziou, space journalist (1939-2017)
Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-08-2017 10:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
From Jim Banke and J.L. Pickering comes word that French space journalist Jacques Tiziou died on Tuesday (Feb. 7). He was 77.

A friend, contributor and member of this site, Jacques was recognized by NASA in 2011 as one of "The Chroniclers" of the space program, with his name added to an honor roll at the Kennedy Space Center press site. The following biography was prepared as part of that honor.

At the age of 14, Jacques Tiziou began his career with stories in European publications about model airplanes, and quickly transitioned into rocketry when the United States and Soviet Union announced plans for Earth orbiting satellites. By age 17 his stories, three-dimentional drawings and photography had appeared in a number of European aviation magazines, including the famous French journal, "Les Ailes."

By 1962, he had a college degree in hand as an aerospace engineer from ESTACA, the same university Igor Sikorsky graduated. But Tiziou decided that journalism, both written and broadcast, was his true calling.

Upon graduation, he traveled to the United States to spend a month visiting NASA centers and space industry plants.

On July 10, 1962, during his first visit to NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, he covered the first launch of an active communications satellite, TELSTAR. The original TELSTAR was a part of a multinational agreement between AT&T, Bell Laboratory, NASA, the British General Post Office and the French National Post, Telegraph and Telecom Office, to develop experimental communications over the Atlantic Ocean.

His visit to Langley allowed him to fly the first lunar landing simulator. In Houston, he walked in the fields among the cows where the Manned Spacecraft Center was to be built. And in St. Louis, McDonnell public relations executives put him on board the Gemini capsule a few hours before John Glenn, Scott Carpenter and "Deke" Slayton saw it for the first time.

Throughout his career, he traveled to the many NASA centers and contractor plants but had a special affinity for Kennedy Space Center. He even established an office in Cocoa Beach, Fla., and installed his brother, Michel, from 1942-1994, as his resident representative of "Space-ialists." In true journalist tradition, the office was a very small apartment with dying window air conditioners. Transportation was a very old Volkswagon Beetle.

In 1965, in addition to his work as a reporter, he became editor-in-chief of the first "Space Encyclopedia" for Editions Rombaldi. It was published in 1968 in several languages including English. A year later his book "A l’Assault de la Lune" was published. Several well known people in broadcasting, journalism, government and industry credited it with helping shape their careers, including Jean-Yves Le Gall who became chairman of Arianespace in 2002.

At the end of the 1960s, Tiziou was covering only the Apollo program for numerous press organizations, including the only two French TV channels existing at the time.

He lived in Cocoa Beach until the end of the Skylab program when contracts to cover the White House and Congress for French and Canadian news organizations mandated that he relocate, but he continued to travel to the cape to cover space news until his retirement and continued to return through the last space shuttle launch.

American reporters call them "scoops" but to Tiziou, they are "premieres," and he had scores during his career. Yet many of them are not the kind ordinary journalists cite.

Tiziou was the first to show the world, in Space Business Daily, the configuration of the first Soviet standard launch vehicle called Zemiorka, which began the family of vehicles including Vostok and Soyuz. His 3-dimensional drawing was used in Soviet publications as the official plan for the Vostok, as well as in western publications.

He was the first European to ride a crawler-transporter carrying an Apollo rocket to the launch pad and the space shuttle prototype, Enterprise, to the pad for testing in 1980, and was the only European to drive the Lunar Rover One-G trainer at Kennedy.

More than 100 astronauts have visited him in his home, and Joseph P. Allen was his best man at his wedding.

He has been the official launch commentator for Ariane launches and was the only French citizen to do an official "wake-up" call to astronauts during the Skylab missions. He used the song "Come Back My Love," by Brigitte Bardot as part of his transmission.

Disney World is another of Tiziou's favorite areas to cover because of its high tech approach to entertainment of its guests. There he was able to combine his interest in marine wildlife when he was one of the first divers in the living seas exhibit. He visited Disney World more than 100 times and dove with the sharks, porpoises and 6,000 other fish a number of times.

Tiziou was elected to the French National Academy of Air and Space in 1993.

mode1charlie
Member

Posts: 1169
From: Honolulu, HI
Registered: Sep 2010

posted 02-09-2017 12:05 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for mode1charlie   Click Here to Email mode1charlie     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I met and had dinner with him at the ASF gala in 2012, and he was a lovely man who had great stories from back in the day.

R.I.P., Jacques.

Kite
Member

Posts: 831
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009

posted 02-09-2017 01:33 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kite     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Spoon
Member

Posts: 143
From: Cumbria, UK
Registered: May 2006

posted 02-09-2017 03:14 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Spoon   Click Here to Email Spoon     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

GACspaceguy
Member

Posts: 2476
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 02-09-2017 04:25 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for GACspaceguy   Click Here to Email GACspaceguy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Wehaveliftoff
Member

Posts: 2343
From:
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 02-09-2017 04:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Wehaveliftoff     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

1202 Alarm
Member

Posts: 436
From: Switzerland & France
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 02-09-2017 04:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for 1202 Alarm   Click Here to Email 1202 Alarm     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Une voix indissociable de la conquête spatiale pour tous les francophones collés à leur poste de TV et de radio, un ton sérieux mais clair qui passionnait à la fois le novice et le féru de détails.

Entre l’exubérant Albert Ducrocq et le médiatique Michel Chevalet, il fut sans doute le plus pointu et le plus intéressant des journalistes de la grande époque.

J'ai eu la chance d'acquérir quelques objets de sa collection lorsqu'elle fut mise en vente aux enchères il y a quelques années, et il a eu la gentillesse, ensuite, de m'apporter des détails supplémentaires à l'historique de ces pièces.

A voice inseparable from the conquest of space for all francophones stuck to their TV and radio stations, a serious but clear tone that excited both the novice and the enthusiast of details.

Between the exuberant Albert Ducrocq and the media Michel Chevalet, he was undoubtedly the sharpest and most interesting journalist of the great era.

I had the chance to acquire some items from his collection when it was auctioned a few years ago, and he was kind enough to bring me additional details these parts.

James Brown
Member

Posts: 1287
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 02-09-2017 05:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for James Brown   Click Here to Email James Brown     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

cspg
Member

Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006

posted 02-09-2017 06:00 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Lunar rock nut
Member

Posts: 911
From: Oklahoma city, Oklahoma U.S.A.
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 02-09-2017 06:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lunar rock nut   Click Here to Email Lunar rock nut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Joel Katzowitz
Member

Posts: 808
From: Marietta GA USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 02-09-2017 07:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Joel Katzowitz   Click Here to Email Joel Katzowitz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

capoetc
Member

Posts: 2169
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 02-09-2017 08:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for capoetc   Click Here to Email capoetc     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

rgarner
Member

Posts: 1193
From: Shepperton, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012

posted 02-09-2017 08:45 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rgarner   Click Here to Email rgarner     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

randy
Member

Posts: 2176
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 02-09-2017 09:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for randy   Click Here to Email randy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

jasonelam
Member

Posts: 691
From: Monticello, KY USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 02-09-2017 09:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for jasonelam   Click Here to Email jasonelam     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Gilbert
Member

Posts: 1328
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 02-09-2017 10:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Gilbert   Click Here to Email Gilbert     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

dom
Member

Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 02-09-2017 11:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dom   Click Here to Email dom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Unfortunately I didn't read his stuff because it was in French but he had a good reputation as a space correspondent. His biggest scoop was getting the Soviets to finally reveal the Vostok rocket at the 1967 Paris Air Show. RIP.

capcomespace
Member

Posts: 27
From: france
Registered: Mar 2009

posted 02-09-2017 12:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for capcomespace   Click Here to Email capcomespace     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Un journaliste exceptionel a qui je dois ma passion pour l'astronautique.
Il me restera en souvenir une lettre et un rendez vous manqué à Washington en novembre 2008...

An exceptional journalist to whom I owe my passion for astronautics. I will remember a letter and a missed appointment at Washington in November 2008...

David Carey
Member

Posts: 782
From:
Registered: Mar 2009

posted 02-09-2017 01:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David Carey   Click Here to Email David Carey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

star51L
Member

Posts: 340
From: Vilano Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 02-09-2017 04:45 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for star51L   Click Here to Email star51L     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Panther494
Member

Posts: 402
From: London UK
Registered: Jan 2013

posted 02-09-2017 05:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Panther494   Click Here to Email Panther494     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

dss65
Member

Posts: 1156
From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003

posted 02-09-2017 10:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dss65   Click Here to Email dss65     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Marwin2
Member

Posts: 139
From:
Registered: Oct 2006

posted 02-10-2017 02:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Marwin2   Click Here to Email Marwin2     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Henk Boshuijer
Member

Posts: 450
From: Netherlands
Registered: May 2007

posted 02-10-2017 04:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Henk Boshuijer   Click Here to Email Henk Boshuijer     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

carl walker
Member

Posts: 360
From: Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 02-10-2017 06:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for carl walker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Go4Launch
Member

Posts: 542
From: Seminole, Fla.
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 02-10-2017 06:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Go4Launch   Click Here to Email Go4Launch     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I first became aware of Jacques in the 1970s as the man behind the Skylab wives patch. He loved to modify crew emblems to recognize backup crews and even astronaut children (ASTP comes to mind).

Jacques was known for his hospitality and hosted parties at his Cocoa Beach home for astronauts, officials and others during the Apollo days. He had a great sense of humor and loved to pull pranks on crewmen and others.

He also welcomed all new shuttle astronaut classes with special designs and stickers he created and often invited them to his home when they visited Washington, DC. And you never left Jacques' place without an assortment of special postcards he created highlighting his experiences.

We became friends covering the early shuttle flights, which is when I found out he and his brother had taken thousands of great photos during Apollo, something JL was quite happy about. Many of his photos appear in our book, Moonshots and Snapshots, which have a more "art-sy" feel than NASA shots. (And stay tuned; we have an exiting new project in the works that will also drew from his collection!).

Jacques was a real Renaissance Man in many ways, including being a very skilled aerospace technical artist. He was a close friend of many astronauts beginning with Mercury and truly loved all aspects of space exploration. But above all he was a bon vivant, an elegant gentlemen and a proud Frenchman.

I will surely miss him.

oly
Member

Posts: 905
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015

posted 02-13-2017 04:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for oly   Click Here to Email oly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Ronpur
Member

Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012

posted 02-13-2017 07:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ronpur   Click Here to Email Ronpur     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2915
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 02-13-2017 07:36 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
With the passing of Jacques Tiziou last week, I am at a complete lost of words.

Like John and J.L., I first met Jacques during the 1970's while covering space shots here at the Cape. Throughout the decades of our "space careers," we got together as much as we could in working together on so many space projects, mainly though, with aerospace memorabilia, postal covers, and specializing in unique space cover issues.

I am still at a lost of words and let me post more, when the time is right, about
this veteran space journalist and dear friend.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-13-2017 10:51 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Jacques' Facebook page was updated today with the following:
Jacques' life came to a close on February 7. It was sudden, but he passed in his sleep without pain.

His last days were rich, including visits to the stables that he loved in Rock Creek Park and dinners with friends old and new.

His brief hospital stay and few days in a rehab facility included the most excellent care; a mini private concert with talented musicians, a new 3 year old friend, and more visits from good friends.

He wished to be cremated immediately, and that we not grieve him too much but rather celebrate the close of his life with laughter and shared memories.

If you have recollections that you'd like to share about Jacques, you can share them via comments here, or send them to his son via email. This page will be set to "memorial" status shortly.

He left behind a prodigious collection of archives, relics and memorabilia of aerospace history. Some of those will be shared on Instagram and on Twitter (@TiziouSpaceHist) as we begin to sort through those possessions.

A memorial/celebration of his life will be planned a bit further in the future, perhaps to mark the one year anniversary of his passing.

music_space
Member

Posts: 1179
From: Canada
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 02-18-2017 10:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for music_space   Click Here to Email music_space     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by 1202 Alarm:
Une voix indissociable de la conquête spatiale pour tous les francophones collés à leur poste de TV et de radio...
Yes, Jacques was the voice of space during our youth here in French Canada and Québec too. And let's not forget his creation of the Skylab Wives patch – one of the most sought after, as I understand – along with its controversial navel! Read all about it here, including Tiziou's take on it, on Jacques Edwin van Oene and Erik van der Hoorn's spacepatches.nl.

I met him once at a cS reunion in Cocoa Beach in the 2000s, an opportunity for which I'm grateful.

Philip
Member

Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 02-18-2017 11:01 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
.

All times are CT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts

Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a





advertisement