Electronics, Optronics and Signal Processing Department (DEOS)

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The “Navigation, Radar and Remonte Sensing” (NAVIR² eS) scientific group is interested in the theoretical study of information sources and hybridization approaches for autonomous vehicle navigation applications.

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The Hera mission, an international planetary defence mission, is on its way to study the asteroid Dimorphos, which will be struck by DART in 2022. ISAE-SUPAERO is actively collaborating in this international planetary defence programme through the research work of Naomi Murdoch and the SSPA team.

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The “Photonics Antenna Microwave PlasmaA” (PAMPA) scientific group is interested in electromagnetism in the fields of microwaves and photonics, as well as wave-plasma interactions.

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ISAE-SUPAERO - as a center for training through research, research training and innovation - has a wide range of research equipment used in its 6 research departments. Today, we'd like to introduce you to mobile ground robots! Whether robots, airplanes, cars or even telephones, all these technologies are equipped with perception systems. Depending on the application, these sources of information make it possible to perceive the environment in which a system is evolving, and also to measure its own characteristics, such as speed or acceleration. This multitude of data must then be used, cross-referenced and interpreted within the navigation system to obtain the vehicle's position, but also, in the case of mapping applications, that of surrounding objects. Within the DEOS NAVIRRES team, researchers are interested in navigation systems and their application in complex environments where sensor information may be degraded, erroneous or unavailable. Mobile acquisition platforms are being developed. These are equipped with cameras, lidars, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers, radars and inertial units, with the aim of obtaining the most efficient navigation system for the application in question. One of the team's research themes is the analysis of the degradation of sensor information, enabling the development of new robust and adaptive algorithms to compensate for environmental constraints. The aim is to make navigation systems more accurate and safer, for critical applications requiring strong reliability constraints, such as autonomous cars or exploration robotics.

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ISAE-SUPAERO is one of the signatories of the National Charter of Ethics for Research Professions, adopted in January 2015 by the Conference of University Presidents (CPU) and all national research organizations, and incorporated into the Institute's internal regulations.

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The Sentinel 2c Earth observation satellite, launched on 5 September as part of ESA's Copernicus mission, has delivered its first images. This success is partly due to the image sensor research team (CIMI) at ISAE-SUPAERO, which designed and oversaw the manufacture of the visible image sensors.

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ESA's ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission to explore Mars will carry a unique instrument for recording sound and atmospheric data from the planet. The Institute has been selected by ESA and CNES for this major scientific collaboration.

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At ISAE-SUPAERO, we conduct cutting-edge research in the service of innovation, technological sovereignty and the ecological transition of the aerospace sector, thereby affirming our role as a leading player in the scientific and industrial community.

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The “Integrated Image Sensors” (CIMI) scientific group, develops and characterizes active-pixel image sensors (CMOS Image Sensors (CIS)) on silicon for visible and infrared radiation.

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The “Space Systems for Planetology and Applications” (SSPA) scientific group focuses on one main area of research: The development of missions and associated technologies for geophysical exploration of the solar system.

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Dr Naomi Murdoch, researcher in space instrumentation and planetary science, and Dr Alexander Stott, post-doctoral fellow, tell us more about the physical characteristics of Mars' atmosphere, in particular the speed of sound and its attenuation. These analyses were published in Nature on April 1, 2022 by an international team led by a teacher-researcher from Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier University, and including scientists from CNRS and ISAE-SUPAERO.

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ISAE-SUPAERO - as a center for training through research, research training and innovation - has a wide range of research equipment used by its 6 research departments. Today, we present our cryogenic equipment for electrical testing! ISAE-SUPAERO's image sensor research group (CIMI) studies sensors in the visible wavelength range, but also sensors in different spectral ranges such as infrared. Detection of these longer wavelengths requires materials other than silicon for detection, combined with a silicon readout circuit for information processing, all operating at cryogenic temperature. In this context, ISAE-SUPAERO has developed electrical and electro-optical characterization benches for low-temperature microelectronic circuits, in order to extract and model their behavior and performance. These characterization benches can address both very simple circuits, such as transistors, and complex components (complete sensors) with up to 120 inputs/outputs.

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Located 80 meters from the rover at the moment of take-off, the small helicopter rose to 5 meters above the ground before covering a distance of 133 meters before returning to land where it had taken off from. SuperCam's scientific microphone, developed by ISAE-SUPAERO, recorded the sound emitted by the rotation of the Martian drone's blades during its flight. This sound has a characteristic frequency of 84 Hz, equivalent to the low “E” of a piano or the bass voice of a human being. “This is a big surprise for the whole scientific team,” says Naomi Murdoch, a researcher at ISAE-SUPAERO who is studying the data from the microphone. "Tests carried out in a Martian atmosphere simulator to design this instrument, and our theories of sound propagation, indicated that the microphone would have great difficulty picking up the sounds of the helicopter. Indeed, Mars' thin atmosphere strongly attenuates sound transmission. We needed a bit of luck to record the helicopter from such a distance. We're very pleased to have succeeded in obtaining this recording, which is proving to be a goldmine for our understanding of the Martian atmosphere". Developed jointly by ISAE-SUPAERO and a consortium of CNRS laboratories and its partners, coordinated by CNES, SuperCam's microphone is derived from a consumer model adapted to withstand the Martian environment. It pursues 3 substantial scientific and technical objectives of the Mars 2020 mission: Study the sound associated with laser impacts on Martian rocks, to gain a better understanding of their mechanical properties. Improving our understanding of atmospheric phenomena (wind turbulence, dust eddies, wind interactions with the rover, and now with the helicopter). Understanding the sound signature of the rover's various movements (robotic arm and mast operations, driving on normal or uneven ground, pump monitoring, etc.). The microphone was first switched on a few hours after Perseverance landed. It recorded the first Martian sounds generated by turbulence in the atmosphere. It is used daily in conjunction with laser rock ablation for chemical analysis of Mars. ABOUT THE MARS 2020 MISSION: NASA is relying on Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the development of the Mars 2020 mission. SuperCam was developed jointly by LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA) and a consortium of laboratories attached to the CNRS, French universities and research establishments. Several Spanish universities, led by the University of Valladolid, are also contributing to the instrument. CNES is responsible to NASA for the French contribution to SuperCam. The instrument is operated alternately from LANL and the French Operations Center for Science and Exploration (FOCSE) at CNES in Toulouse.

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The SILOE experimental drop tower project aims to study the cohesion of planetary surfaces. This student project is supported by ESA as part of its European ‘Academy Experiments’ program. Alexia Duchêne, SILOE project leader, has been awarded a scholarship of excellence from the Fondation des Ailes de France.

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This video and audio show the results obtained by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover and its SuperCam microphone when recording the sounds of a Martian dust devil passing overhead on 27 September 2021, the 215th Martian day or sol of the mission. The dust devil was 25 metres wide and at least 118 metres high, moving at a speed of approximately 19 km/h. This is the first time such a recording has been made, as capturing a dust devil requires a bit of luck. Indeed, it flew over the rover at a time when all of Perseverance's sensors measuring wind, pressure, temperature and dust, plus the NavigationXXX (Navcam) camera, were running. This allowed scientists to combine sounds, images and atmospheric data. The unique combination of this data, along with atmospheric modelling, enabled researchers to estimate the dimensions of the dust devil. Scientists cannot accurately predict when these vortices will occur. Rovers such as Perseverance and Curiosity monitor them regularly. When scientists notice that they are more frequent at a certain time of day or approaching from a certain direction, they focus their monitoring to try to capture a dust devil with all the sensors at their disposal. > To better understand the video, it shows three rows of images: - the row

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ISAE-SUPAERO - as a center for training through research, research training and innovation - has a wide range of research equipment used in its 6 research departments. Today, we present CMOS image sensors! CMOS image sensors are playing an increasingly important role in our everyday lives. For several years now, our team at ISAE-SUPAERO has been developing CMOS image sensors with a number of players in the field, and innovating by proposing new architectures and conditions of use requiring studies of both elementary components and more complex structures. Measurements are carried out on transistors and diodes with the help of an under-tip tester and a parametric analyzer enabling very low current measurements (10 aA). Similarly, simple structures containing innovative pixels can be operated with the tester using spike cards coupled to a word generator specially designed for image sensors. All these studies not only contribute to our understanding of the physics of photodetection, but also provide models for our simulators. They are also used to monitor manufacturing processes during the various production phases.

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The InSight lander deployed by NASA recorded two earthquakes that occurred on Mars in 2021, providing scientists with exceptional data, the first direct observations ever made of a planet's core.

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ISAE-SUPAERO has been integrating quantum physics into its training and research activities uninterruptedly since 1980, and for the past two decades has been offering courses linked to the second quantum revolution.

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ISAE-SUPAERO – as a centre for training through research, research training and innovation – has a wide range of research equipment used within its six research departments. Today, we present white plasma! With the emergence of #NewSpace, more and more CubeSats are being launched. On these small platforms (CubeSats consist of one or more standard 10 cm cubes), several subsystems must coexist. While electric propulsion solutions save space and weight on board, their electromagnetic compatibility with on-board communication systems is still being questioned today. ISAE-SUPAERO, in collaboration with CNES and LAPLACE, is currently developing simulation tools and characterisation methods to provide engineers with tools for designing CubeSats and effective testing methods to address this issue. This experimental bench developed at ISAE-SUPAERO allows the characterisation of a plasma discharge representative of an electric thruster, as well as the measurement of its interactions with microwave signals generated by nearby communication antennas. Finally, the experimental data obtained will be used to calibrate the numerical analysis tools currently being developed by our teams.

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Naomi Murdoch, a planetary science researcher at ISAE-SUPAERO, is actively involved in scientific analysis and data interpretation for NASA's DART mission.

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ISAE-SUPAERO est un établissement d'enseignement supérieur axé sur la recherche et l'innovation, qui s'engage à concilier excellence scientifique, visibilité académique et proximité avec les objectifs industriels. Ses activités de recherche ont contribué à faire de l'école un leader international non seulement en termes de programme d'ingénierie aérospatiale, mais aussi de programmes de troisième cycle, notamment ses masters (MSc) et ses programmes de doctorat en sciences de l'ingénierie. C'est pourquoi de nombreux acteurs internationaux clés de la recherche rendent visite à leurs homologues de l'ISAE-SUPAERO. Nous avons rencontré Dan Sheeres, professeur émérite de l'université du Colorado et titulaire de la chaire A. Richard Seebass au département des sciences de l'ingénierie aérospatiale Ann et H.J. Smead de l'université du Colorado à Boulder. Les recherches de Dan Scheeres couvrent des sujets allant de l'astrodynamique et de la navigation spatiale à la science planétaire et à la mécanique céleste, et il a publié de nombreux articles dans ces domaines. L'astéroïde 8887 a été baptisé « Scheeres » en reconnaissance de ses contributions à la compréhension scientifique de l'environnement dynamique des astéroïdes. Pendant son séjour à l'ISAE-SUPAERO, le professeur Scheeres et l'équipe des systèmes spatiaux pour les applications planétaires ont collaboré à l'analyse des données DART et au développement de concepts visant à étudier la structure interne des astéroïdes lors de futures missions spatiales. De plus, Dan Scheeres et l'ISAE-SUPAERO ont publié conjointement plusieurs articles dans « Nature » sur les astéroïdes et la mission DART.

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ISAE-SUPAERO – as a centre for training through research, research training and innovation – has a wide range of research equipment used within its six research departments. Today, we present the radio anechoic chamber! Drones and nanosatellites have many applications in the media, industry, agriculture and telecommunications sectors. These two types of platforms share the common constraint of having to carry complex systems in a small space. One of the key elements of on-board communication systems is the antenna, which must also be compact and lightweight. ISAE-SUPAERO, in collaboration with ENAC and ANYWAVES, is currently developing dielectric antennas made by 3D printing ceramics that meet the demanding criteria for integration on drones and nanosatellites. Thanks to the anechoic chamber available at ISAE-SUPAERO, researchers involved in the development of these original antennas can accurately characterise their radiation properties and thus validate the new technological solutions proposed.

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In September 2021, NASA's InSight mission recorded a meteorite impact. Analysis of the data by scientists has revolutionised our understanding of the internal structure of Mars and its evolution. Its mantle is not homogeneous, as previously assumed, but composed of a layer of molten silicates overlying the core. Press release from the IPGP - Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris: ‘The InSight mission reveals a molten layer at the base of the Martian mantle’.

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ISAE-SUPAERO – as a centre for training through research, research training and innovation – has a wide range of research equipment used within its six research departments. Today, we present the irradiator! As part of its research activities, ISAE-SUPAERO develops electronic components and systems for scientific and space applications. Space is a very aggressive environment, particularly because high-energy particles emitted by the sun or trapped in radiation belts threaten the health of astronauts, the properties of materials and the proper functioning of electronic chips. In order to reproduce the effects of this ionising radiation on electronic technologies in the laboratory, ISAE-SUPAERO has acquired an X-ray irradiation chamber with an energy of up to 320 keV. This video shows a typical use of this equipment: an electronic component to be tested is placed in the irradiation chamber, the X-ray tube is switched on, and the effects on the component's operation (in this case, an image sensor) are observed and measured in real time.

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Studying the formation and origin of Mars' moons and bringing back samples: this is the extraordinary, ambitious international mission led by JAXA, in which ISAE-SUPAERO is participating alongside CNES.

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The “Communication and Information Theory” (ComiT) scientific group is involved in the disciplines of digital communications, radar, and channel access techniques. Its fields of application include space systems, civil and military aviation, terrestrial cellular networks and the Internet of Things (IoT).

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Naomi Murdoch, a researcher in physics and planetology at ISAE-SUPAERO, has just been awarded the prestigious Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for her planetary body study project called GRAVITE. This ambitious scientific project aims to design a variable gravity machine that will enable the simulation and study of extraterrestrial soils.

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Researchers from ISAE-SUPAERO are participating in this first planetary defence mission. Dr. Naomi Murdoch, a researcher at ISAE-SUPAERO and scientific member of the #DART and #HERA missions, comments on the objectives of DART and those of the European HERA mission, which will arrive in the area in 2026 to characterise the crater left by DART and study the internal structure of the asteroid #Dimorphos!

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A team of DEOS researchers has achieved a significant milestone in the use of infrasound data captured by stratospheric balloons to understand seismic signals. This breakthrough, published in Earth Planets Space*, opens up new perspectives for the study of earthquakes, both on Earth and on other planets.

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ISAE-SUPAERO has been integrating quantum physics into its training and research activities uninterruptedly since 1980, and for the past two decades has been offering courses linked to the second quantum revolution.