Surveiller et prévenir : tremblements de terre et promesses satellitaires

Abstract

This article deals with the arguments used by the scientists in charge of the satellite Demeter about the possible prediction of earthquakes. The rhetoric of the promise here is twofold: it concerns both the deployment of new techniques and the possibility of a political response to seismic threats. But precisely in the case of a test satellite, this political promise is never clearly formulated. Ambivalent results, epistemic shifts (towards gravity waves) and a refocusing of interests towards China contributed to the relaunch of the promise.

Keywords

• technological promises
• earthquakes
• satellites
• space
• arguments