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.
Our research areas
The SSPA group focuses its work on two main themes:
The study of the internal structure and physical properties of the telluric planets and small bodies of the solar system: This research aims to understand the composition, internal structure and evolution of these objects.
Studying the coupling between the solid surface and the atmosphere of planets: This approach explores the interactions between atmospheric phenomena and the geology of these worlds.
These themes are part of a dual strategy:
The preparation of future space missions, involving the design and development of innovative instrumentation.
The analysis of data from past or current missions in order to refine existing scientific models.
Our missions and research projects
The SSPA group is involved in a number of major space missions, each contributing to a better understanding of the solar system.
The SSPA group is involved in the NASA Perseverance rover project (Mars 2020; which will prepare the sample return mission) through its contribution to the SuperCam instrument, which analyses rocks remotely using LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) technology.
The SSPA team is involved in numerous small body missions.
Our involvement ranges from the development of instruments specifically for the exploration of small bodies, to the physical properties of the surface and internal structure of asteroids.
The SSPA team has invested in mission studies (in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech) aimed at studying the internal structure of the planet Venus, this time using the couplings of the 'solid' planet with the atmosphere: we think we can detect these earthquakes either using balloons measuring infrasound in the upper atmosphere (60 km) of Venus, or by measuring infrared luminescence (airglow) from orbit.
This collaboration has resulted in several instrumented balloon flights in collaboration with JPL/Caltech and Sandia Labs in the United States.
The PIONEERS project (Planetary Instruments based on Optical technologies for an iNnovative European Exploration using Rotational Seismology) has been selected as a research and innovation action under the H2020-SPACE-20-2018 call for proposals.
This project, funded by the European Commission, aims to develop a new generation of planetary seismometers.
Coordinated by ISAE-SUPAERO, it aims to achieve a technological breakthrough that should make it possible to feel deformations 100 times smaller than the sensors currently available. To achieve this, optical interferometry technologies will be used to measure translations as well as rotations of the planetary surface. The addition of rotation measurement to traditional seismometers will enable new methods of probing planetary interiors and identifying seismic sources.
Two instruments will be developed over the 4 years of the project. A prototype ultra-low-noise instrument for the telluric planets of the solar system, and a more compact flight model, in CubeSat format, for application to asteroids.
PIONEERS is supported by a European consortium of research laboratories (ISAE-SUPAERO, ETHZ, IPGP, ORB, LMU) and an industrial partner (iXblue). This research initiative brings together cutting-edge skills in planetary instrumentation, geodesy and rotational seismology, as well as space electronics and optics.
EntrySat, the very first French 3U cubesat, was deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on 3 July at 16:25 UTC (18:25 local time). The main objectives of the EntrySat mission were to study the atmospheric re-entry of space debris. EntrySat was also to carry out experiments to communicate with the ground and measure the characteristics of the atmosphere.
EntrySat was part of the CNES JANUS project (Jeunes en Apprentissage pour la réalisation de Nanosatellites au sein des Universités et des écoles de l'enseignement supérieur). The development was led by the SSPA team and involved many researchers, engineers and students from ISAE-SUPAERO who participated in the design of the nanosatellite, assisted by ONERA and the University of Toulouse.
Our technologies and instruments
The SSPA group plays a crucial role in the design and development of advanced technologies for space exploration. These technologies include :
Seismic and infrasound sensors to analyse the internal and atmospheric activities of planets.
On-board observation instruments to collect data in real time.
Shock and vibration detection systems used to study asteroids and comets.
SSPA Group Manager
The InSight mission to Mars
The InSight mission was selected by NASA in August 2012 as part of the DISCOVERY programme. On 26 November 2018, it deployed the first geophysical observatory on Mars, with the aim of providing scientific knowledge essential to understanding the fundamental processes involved in the formation of telluric planets and their evolution. To achieve this, it is carrying two scientific instruments: the SEIS seismometer and HP3, an instrument for measuring heat flows from the planet’s core.
The SEIS seismometer, which measuresseismic activity, meteorite impact flux and Phobos tide measurements, characterises the inner structure of Mars, providing information on the thickness and structure of the crust, the composition and structure of the mantle and the size of the core. It has been developed over more than 10 years by the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) with the support of CNES and CNRS, and a wide range of international partners: IPGP, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), Max Planck Institute Lindau, Imperial College London and Oxford, Jet Propulsion Laboratory andISAE-SUPAERO.
SSPA researchers provide two mission co-investigators(David Mimoun, Raphael Garcia) and 5 collaborators(Naomi Murdoch, Nicolas Compaire, Leo Martire, Melanie Drilleau, Alexandre Stott), and have contributed to the InSight mission through the SEIS instrument performance model, the mission performance model, the specification of the scientific software and the design of the instrument’s concept of operations on Mars. They are also making a significant contribution to the exploitation of scientific data on the structure of the crust, the internal structure of the planet and the study of dust devils.
Some of the SSPA group’s research themes related to the InSight mission :
Variations in wind (Murdoch et al. 2017), atmospheric pressure (Murdoch et al., 2018, Garcia et al., 2020), magnetic field or temperature are natural phenomena that create noise on the SEIS instrument. Understanding and predicting these sources of noise (Mimoun et al., 2017) has been important in designing the mission, defining the specifications and exploiting the data. To help NASA and the InSight team choose the best possible location for the SEIS instrument, we also produced performance and noise maps of each point around the lander. These maps list all the noises likely to interfere with the instrument's measurements and take into account all the known characteristics of the Martian environment.
Constraining the internal structure of the terrestrial planets (Earth, Mars and the Moon) is a fundamental challenge if we are to gain a better understanding of their formation process and evolution. To achieve this, the recordings made by terrestrial seismological stations, and those from the Apollo and InSight missions, are key data for probing the interior of planets. In this context, a major area of research is the development of algorithms for inversion of seismological and, more broadly, geophysical data, in order to estimate seismic velocity and temperature profiles in the interior of planets, as well as their mineralogical composition (Drilleau et al., 2013, 2020; Panning et al., 2015, 2017; Bissig, 2018; Garcia et al., 2019).
Determining the structure of the near surface provides constraints on the geological history of a planet. Pressure fluctuations in the Martian atmosphere generate small deformations in the soil, which can be measured by the SEIS seismometer on the InSight mission. These deformations are highly dependent on the elastic properties of the regolith. Using pressure, wind and ground deformation data records, it is possible to estimate the elastic parameters beneath the lander in the first 20 metres below the surface (Lognonné et al., 2019, Kenda et al., 2020, Garcia et al., 2020, Murdoch et al., 2020). Initial results have shown the presence of a transition between the regolith on the surface and a harder rock, which would correspond to blocks of rock ejected during a meteorite impact (Lognonné et al., 2020).
InSight measures wind speed, wind direction and atmospheric pressure almost continuously, providing more data than previous ground missions. These meteorological sensors have detected hundreds of convective vortices (eddies), called dust devils when they collect dust and become visible. The InSight site has more vortices than any other place we've landed on Mars with weather sensors (Banfield, Spiga et al., 2020). SEIS can feel these vortices pulling at the surface like a giant hoover (Lorenz et al., 2015). As well as being able to calculate the elasticity of the Martian surface by measuring the suction of the soil by passing dust vortices (Lognonné et al., 2020; Banerdt et al., 2020), the combined seismic and pressure measurements can provide constraints on the properties of the vortices and its trajectories (Murdoch et al., 2020), and may indicate heterogeneities in the subsurface structure around the InSight lander (Golombek et al., 2020).
The Mars Microphone on board NASA’s Perseverance rover
The SSPA group is present on the NASA Perseverance rover (Mars 2020; which will prepare the sample return mission) through its contribution to the SuperCam instrument, which analyses rocks remotely using LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) technology.
We produced and supplied the first Martian microphone, which complements the LIBS measurements by providing calibrated information on rock hardness.
Some of the SSPA group’s research themes related to the Mars microphone:
We are studying the acoustic signal associated with plasma formation during the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) experiment on SuperCam. Our research shows that listening to LIBS sparks provides information about the target hardness/density. These results are independent of and complementary to the LIBS spectrum.
The microphone will record the aeroacoustic noise generated by the wind passing in front of the microphone. Using experiments carried out in the Mars Wind Tunnel in Aarhus, we have demonstrated that the microphone on SuperCam has the potential to determine both the speed and direction of the wind on Mars, thereby contributing to scientific research into the atmosphere.
Small-body missions
The SSPA team is involved in a number of small body missions. Our involvement ranges from the development of instruments specifically for the exploration of small bodies, to the physical properties of the surface and internal structure of asteroids.
- The AIDA mission
- The MMX rover on Phobos
- The H2020 NEO-MAPP project
NASA's DART ('Double Asteroid Redirection Test') mission will reach Didymos in September 2022 and head towards Dimorphos at a speed of around 6.6 km/s. The last thing that DART will transmit to Earth before the collision will be an image of the surface of Dimorphos.
Post-impact investigations will be carried out initially from Earth, then by the other component of AIDA, ESA's Hera mission (scheduled for launch in 2024). The detailed post-impact studies of Hera (Michel et al., 2017) will transform the large-scale impact experiment into a well-understood and reproducible planetary defence technique.
The overall results from both missions should provide a baseline for planning any future planetary defence strategy, offering insight into the type of force needed to move an asteroid's orbit, and better understanding of how the technique could be applied if a real threat were to occur.
DART and Hera are autonomous; each mission alone will provide valuable knowledge. However, when combined, this knowledge will be multiplied considerably.
The SSPA's involvement in these missions is twofold: to help prepare the immediate operations of the Hera mission, in particular with regard to the landing and operational strategy of the CubeSats, and to prepare the scientific analyses of the DART and Hera missions, in particular with regard to the geophysical properties of Didymoon (internal structure and surface mechanical properties). Naomi Murdoch is co-I on the Hera mission and a collaborator on the DART mission.
The Martians Moons eXploration (MMX) mission from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, will visit the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, and return samples from Phobos to Earth.
As part of this mission, a small rover (25 kg), provided by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), with additional contributions from INTA (Spain) and JAXA, will be delivered to the surface of Phobos.
The rover will be a technological demonstration of locomotion on a low-gravity, regolith-covered planetary surface. In addition, the rover will provide scientific data on the properties of the regolith (mechanical, mineralogical and thermal), provide contextual information for the returned samples, and help reduce the risks of MMX mission operations.
One of the four scientific instruments on board the rover is the 'WheelCams' (PI: Naomi Murdoch). These cameras will observe the interactions between the rover's wheels and the surface in order to characterise the mechanical properties of the regolith.
In the SSPA team, as well as preparing the analysis of the WheelCams data, we are studying the feasibility and expected performance of a wheeled vehicle on the surface of Phobos.
NEO-MAPP 'Near Earth Object Modeling And Payload for Protection' is a project funded by the European Commission's H2020 programme. This project addresses the theme of "Advanced Research on Near Earth Objects (NEOs) and New Payload Technologies for Planetary Defence" (SUSPACE-23-SEC-2019).
The main objective of NEO-MAPP is to support the development and analysis of data from small-body missions, such as Hera, and to make significant advances both in our understanding of the response of near-Earth objects to external forces (in particular a kinetic impact or a close passage to a planet), and in the measurements made by space missions.
The objectives of NEO-MAPP are as follows:
- To push the limits of numerical modelling of the response of NEOs to kinetic impact, as well as their physical and dynamic properties, while developing European modelling capabilities related to planetary defence and NEO exploration;
- Increasing the maturity of multiple European space instruments directly related to planetary defence, while focusing on measurements of the surface, shallow subsurface and interior properties of NEOs;
- Developing algorithms and simulators to prepare for proximity operations and data exploitation;
- Develop innovative and synergistic data measurement and analysis strategies that combine several instruments, to ensure optimal exploitation of data from small-body missions;
- To develop and validate robust GNC strategies and technologies enabling interaction between a surface and a CubeSat or small/micro-atterracer, and response measurements.
The NEO-MAPP team will devote considerable resources to developing significant and innovative synergies between the two sub-themes. As such, NEO-MAPP will provide significant advances in our understanding of near-Earth objects while building on the expertise of European scientists and engineers in planetary defence efforts and small body exploration.
Some of the SSPA group’s research themes related to small bodies:
The dynamics of regolith (granular material on planetary surfaces) is also involved in the evolution of small bodies in our solar system and is essential for the design and/or operation of landers, sampling devices and rovers.
- Landing on asteroids: understanding surface-lander interactions is important for all landers as these considerations influence deployment strategy, mission design and operations, and even the choice of payload. To simulate landing on an asteroid, we have developed an Atwood machine: a variable-gravity drop tower (Sunday et al., 2016). With the tower, we perform low-speed collisions in low-gravity conditions. The results of our experiments indicate that low-gravity collisions lead to more fluidised grain behaviour (Murdoch et al., 2017). To see an experiment on the simulation of an asteroid landing.
- Low-gravity rolling: Using a DEM code, which we have improved and validated to model the specific interactions of a wheel with the regolith of a small body (Sunday et al., 2020), we are studying how the behaviour of a wheel (traction, manoeuvrability, etc.) varies according to the type of regolith and at different gravity levels. The results will be used directly to plan the operations of the MMX rover and to interpret the interactions between the wheels and the regolith on Phobos.
Understanding the internal structure of an asteroid has important implications for interpreting its history, for understanding its ongoing geological evolution, as well as for asteroid deflection and the use of in situ space resources. There is strong evidence that asteroids are seismically active (see Murdoch et al., 2015 for a review). The SSPA team studies the natural seismicity (tidal forces, impacts, thermal cracking,...) of asteroids to understand the consequences for their evolution and internal structure, and for future asteroid seismic stations (Garcia et al., 2015; Murdoch et al., 2017).
By measuring ground displacement due to seismic activity on the surface of asteroids, a geophone can provide constraints on the stratification and mechanical properties of the subsurface, in addition to the typical size of subsurface heterogeneities.
Seismology has long been considered a key technique for understanding a planetary body and its interior. However, despite the evidence that asteroids are seismically active and the obvious need to deepen our understanding of their internal structure, no seismic experiments have ever been carried out on the surface of an asteroid.
To achieve the objective of putting a seismometer on the surface of a small body, we are developing an instrument adapted to the environment of the small body. Our low-mass, low-power seismometer can be integrated into a small lander (e.g. a CubeSat) and can operate in the harsh environment of the asteroid's surface.
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Student life
Testimonials
Testimony from Axel Coulon, student (class of 2024) of the TAS ASTRO Advanced Master®Advanced Master®
Space
Testimonial
Videos
Discover... ISAE-SUPAERO's mobile ground robotsISAE-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.
DEOS
News
A protocol chosen to secure communications with quantum computersDISC
Researcher
Scientific publication
News
Les Assises du New Space: update of the “Ambition NewSpace 2027” reportIn 2022, the Assises du NewSpace collective - a group of players representing the French space industry - published the report “Ambition NewSpace 2027”. Today, the collective is launching another major national consultation to update this report and shape the future of French space!
Conference
Round table
Space
News
Unlocking the secrets of earthquakes with stratospheric balloonsA 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.
DEOS
Researcher
Science
Pages
“Integrated Image Sensors” (CIMI) scientific groupThe “Integrated Image Sensors” (CIMI) scientific group, develops and characterizes active-pixel image sensors (CMOS Image Sensors (CIS)) on silicon for visible and infrared radiation.
DEOS
Doctoral student
PhD
Pages
“Connected Systems” (SysCo) scientific groupThe scientific dynamic of the “Connected Systems” (SysCo) scientific group focuses primarily on network-related issues in aerospace applications, i.e. space communications, embedded networks and certain types of connected systems.
DISC
Doctoral student
PhD
News
DART: ISAE-SUPAERO students publish new scientific findings in Nature CommunicationsNaomi Murdoch, a planetary science researcher at ISAE-SUPAERO, is actively involved in scientific analysis and data interpretation for NASA's DART mission.
DEOS
Space
News
Training new skills for the future of space: COMETES is launched!Company
Job
Space
Pages
DirectoryDirectory
Teacher researcher
Testimonials
Testimony from Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez, elected member of the Air and Space AcademyDCAS
Space
Teacher researcher
News
Researchers from ISAE-SUPAERO contributed to the success of the first images from ESA's Sentinel 2c observation satellite.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.
DEOS
Space
News
Listening to the Martian past: ISAE-SUPAERO at the heart of the ExoMars missionESA'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.
DEOS
Researcher
Science
News
MMX, Idefix® and cameras to understand Mars' moonStudying 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.
DEOS
Researcher
Space
Pages
Our short modulesComing from the Institute's Advanced Masters® programs, our short modules are aimed at professionals wishing to develop specific skills in Aeronautics, Space, Project Management, Systems Engineering or Digital.
Advanced Master®
Aeronautics
Aerospace
Pages
Complex Systems Engineering Department (DISC)Within ISAE-SUPAERO, the Complex Systems Engineering Department (DISC) develops skills in mathematics and computer science for aeronautical and space engineering. In both teaching and research, it focuses on the models, methods, and tools needed to control the behavior and performance of complex systems. This complexity may be induced by the multi-physics or multi-scale nature of the systems studied, their dynamic behavior, or their distributed and communicating structure.
DISC
PhD
Researcher
News
ISAE-SUPAERO announces new partnership with ESA Academy to support future Master in Aerospace Engineering studentsAerospace
Master in Aerospace Engineering
Scholarship
News
ISAE-SUPAERO researchers explore the quantum universeDISC
Researcher
Scientific publication
Videos
Discover the portrait of Paolo PANICUCCI doctoral student at ISAE-SUPAEROPaolo has completed his thesis in the Complex Systems Engineering Department (DISC). His thesis is entitled: Navigation based on autonomous vision and shape reconstruction of an unknown asteroid during the approach phase. It is attached to the AA - Aéronautique Astronautique doctoral school. ISAE-SUPAERO hosts its doctoral students in six teams at ISAE-SUPAERO, ONERA and the Clément Ader Institute, covering a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines related to aeronautics and space: aerodynamics and propulsion, structures and materials, embedded systems, networks and telecommunications, systems control and operation, human factors, electronics and signals. ISAE-SUPAERO offers a rich and diversified doctoral training program, leading to the doctorate, the highest level diploma awarded by the institute, and recognized internationally. Link to his thesis: http://www.theses.fr/s253653
PhD
Thesis
News
Congratulations to our eight ISAE-SUPAERO faculty members who are among the top 2% of scientists!Stanford University recently published an updated list of the world's most influential scientists, which includes eight ISAE-Supaero faculty members.
Ranking
Teacher researcher
Pages
“Photonics Antenna Microwave PlasmaA” (PAMPA) scientific groupThe “Photonics Antenna Microwave PlasmaA” (PAMPA) scientific group is interested in electromagnetism in the fields of microwaves and photonics, as well as wave-plasma interactions.
DEOS
Doctoral student
PhD
News
Capturing the seismic activity of an asteroid: our Apophis rendezvousDEOS
Research
Space
Pages
Our certificates of specialized studiesOur certificates of specialized studies are designed for professionals. They enable you to develop skills and expertise in the fields of digital, aeronautics, space, project management, systems engineering and artificial intelligence.
Advanced Master®
Aeronautics
Aerospace
Videos
Discover... CMOS image sensors at ISAE-SUPAEROISAE-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.
DEOS
News
Meteorite impact reveals new insights into MarsIn 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’.
DEOS
Space
News
Mars mission simulation: a scientific experiment, a human adventureLike nine other ISAE-SUPAERO crews before them, seven students took part in a simulation of life on Mars in the Utah desert in the United States this winter.
Space
Student club
Events
ISAE-SUPAERO will be at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget from June 16 to 22, 2025ISAE-SUPAERO will be present at the 55ᵉ Salon International de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace at Le Bourget from June 16 to 22, 2025!
Aeronautics
Aerospace
Event
News
CASTOR Chair: ISAE-SUPAERO and Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse celebrate 1 year of partnershipAeronautics
Chair
Partnership
Pages
Languages, Arts, Cultures, and Societies Department (LACS)At the Languages, Arts, Cultures, and Societies Department (LACS), we teach languages, interculturality, geopolitics, general culture, economics, sports, etc. Multidimensional skills that bring out knowledge, interpersonal skills, know-how and interpersonal skills.
LACS
PhD
Researcher
News
HACKATHON Data Sciences: AI in action!From February 24 to 26, forty-five students will explore three topical issues involving Artificial Intelligence (AI) during a three-day hackathon. The student teams involved will attempt to meet the challenges posed by three industrial partners on the themes of the environment, industrialization and digitization technology. ISAE-SUPAERO confirms its commitment to training in data science and artificial intelligence through its Decision and Data Sciences (DDS) course.
AI
Artificial intelligence
Hackathon
Pages
French Space Defence AcademyIn order to drive and implement the ambitions set out in the Space Defence Strategy, the creation of a space defence expertise sector offering attractive programmes is a major challenge. In this regard, the French Space Defence Academy (ASD) offers programmes available within the Armed Forces Ministry and leverages synergies between them to provide a personalised approach to space programmes.
Defence
Education
Partner
Pages
Innovating in a World of Transition - SafranThe challenges facing the aerospace industry (energy transition, New Space, digitalization) are driving a growing need for professionals with the ability to innovate. Against this backdrop, Safran and ISAE-SUPAERO are creating the Innovating in a World in Transition Chair.
Aeronautics
Aerospace
Chair
Pages
“Navigation, Radar and Remonte Sensing” (NAVIR² eS) scientific groupThe “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.
DEOS
Doctoral student
PhD
News
Focus on... quantum physics in ISAE-SUPAERO training coursesISAE-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.
DEOS
Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)
Teacher researcher
News
SILOE, an experimental drop tower project selected by ESA and an ESPACE grant for Alexia DuchêneThe 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.
DEOS
Space
Videos
3 questions to Marie Delaroche, 3ᵉ year student and MDRS 293 crew commanderSince February 18, seven ISAE-SUPAERO engineering students have been living a simulated Martian life and carrying out experiments in collaboration with CNES and several research laboratories at The Mars Society's Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in UTAH (USA)! For the second time, the mission is led by a woman: Marie Delaroche, a passionate #spaceexplorer, who was already part of crew 275 departing in 2023. We asked her 3 questions to find out more about the challenges of this mission and her feelings as #flightcommander! Alongside her, three young women and three young men in their 2ᵉ year of #engineering studies have taken on the roles of astronomer, scientist, botanist, journalist, health worker and onboard engineer. They are all members of the Mars Club ISAE-SUPAERO, a student association for the popularization of science focused on the Red Planet and the missions dedicated to its exploration and study. They are currently experimenting with AI4U, the artificial intelligence that assists astronauts in their daily tasks (environmental measurements, voice recognition, emergency exercises). They are also conducting a science popularization experiment in collaboration with secondary school pupils. Inspired by the film The Martian, in which an astronaut grows potatoes on the Red Planet, the aim of this experiment is to compare plant growth in Martian soil with growth in terrestrial soil! To follow their adventure, click here: https://mars.bde-supaero.fr/
Space
Student club
Student life
News
3 questions to... Loïc Jecker, S-Cube member from 2011 to 2013Meet Loïc Jecker, member of S-Cube - SUPAERO Space Section - ISAE-SUPAERO's experimental rocket club, from 2011 to 2013.
Space
Student club
Student life
Videos
ISAE-SUPAERO and Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology work on student space exploration projectsISAE-SUPAERO received a visit from Professor Shine S R of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) on December 7 and 8. ISAE-SUPAERO signed a co #cooperation agreement with the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in 2020 and this visit was a perfect opportunity to discuss the deepening of #training and #research collaborations between our two institutions. ISAE-SUPAERO and IIST have already been cooperating for 4 years within the framework of Franco-Indian collaborative academic projects, involving students from ISAE-SUPAERO and IIST on subjects related to space exploration missions and with the participation of experts from CNES, IRAP and the Indian space agency (ISRO)!
Space
News
Meeting with Yves Gourinat, elected as a full member of the Air and Space AcademyYves Gourinat is a professor of structural physics in the Structural Mechanics and Materials Department (DMSM) at ISAE-SUPAERO. Already a corresponding member since 2019, he has just been elected a full member of the French Academy of Aeronautics and Space.
Aeronautics
Award
Teacher researcher
Events
"Les Entretiens de Toulouse - Training through debate”: April 9 & 10, 2025 on the ISAE-SUPAERO campus"Les Entretiens de Toulouse" has become a must-attend event for the aerospace industry. A forum for the exchange and transmission of skills, this training through debate provides an opening onto subjects with high industrial stakes. The 2025 edition of the Entretiens de Toulouse will take place on April 9 & 10, 2025, in person, at ISAE-SUPAERO!
Aeronautics
Artificial intelligence
Defence
News
ISAE-SUPAERO's researchers are working on establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon.While last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, the last manned trip to the Moon, the development of ‘New Space’ has revived the space sector's interest in lunar exploration.
DCAS
Space
Pages
Validation of prior experienceThe validation of prior experience is an individual right enshrined in the French Labor Code and Education Code. It enables candidates to obtain all - or part - of a professional certification (Diploma, Professional Title, Certificate of Professional Qualification), based on their professional, salaried or non-salaried and/or voluntary experience. This scheme can be used if the candidate is seeking personal recognition, or more generally to support a professional project that he or she wishes to put into practice.
Advanced Master®
Aeronautics
Aerospace
Pages
Support for the Development of the ISAE Group - GIFASGIFAS (Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales - French Aerospace Industries Group) supports the development of high-level academic and professional education in aerospace systems at the 6 Grandes Écoles that make up the ISAE Group (ISAE-ENSMA, ISAE-SUPMECA, ESTACA, Ecole de l'Air et de l'Espace, ENAC, ISAE-SUPAERO).
Aeronautics
Aerospace
Chair
News
ISAE-SUPAERO will be at the Paris Air Show from June 16 to 22, 2025!Aeronautics
Event
Fair
News
Ariane 6: at ISAE-SUPAERO, researchers are already working on the futureThe European Ariane 6 launcher incorporates major technological innovations such as the Vinci engine, capable of reigniting in space. At ISAE-SUPAERO, researchers are tackling the challenges posed by the rocket engines of tomorrow.
Space
Testimonials
Testimony of Juan-Carlos DOLADO-PEREZ, alumni of the 2008 Master's degree in Aerospace EngineeringAlumni
Space
Testimonial
News
Mission Insight: the contribution of researchers from ISAE-SUPAEROThe 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.
DEOS
Space
Pages
Institute for Sustainable AviationCreated in 2021 on the initiative of internationally renowned academic institutions with longstanding academic expertise in aeronautics and air transport, the ISA is an institute dedicated to the challenges of aviation's transition to sustainability.
Aeronautics
Aviation
Decarbonization
Pages
ResearchAt 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.
DAEP
DCAS
DEOS
Pages
“Design and Analysis of Critical Systems” (CASC) scientific groupThe “Design and Analysis of Critical Systems” (CASC) scientific group focuses on methods, processes and tools to support System Engineering and Systems Engineering.
DISC
Doctoral student
PhD
News
OPEN SCIENCE ISAE-SUPAERO: ISAE-SUPAERO science in the open air!ISAE-SUPAERO continues to contribute to the open science movement and has created a new open archive platform called OPEN SCIENCE ISAE-SUPAERO. It provides everyone with access to our theses, publications, scientific instruments and technological platforms.
Science
Scientific publication
Thesis
Pages
Our ecosystemOur Institute operates at the heart of a leading academic, scientific, and technological ecosystem. Driven by the strength of the ISAE-SUPAERO ENSICA Alumni Association network, supported by the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation, and enriched by EUROSAE's expertise in continuing education, our actions are part of a collective dynamic within the University of Toulouse and the ISAE Group. Committed to the major challenges of tomorrow, we are developing major initiatives within the Institute for Sustainable Aviation for sustainable aviation and the Defense Space Academy to meet the strategic challenges of space.
Aerospace
Partner
Partnership
News
ISAE-SUPAERO back on mission with HeraThe 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.
DEOS
Space
News
The project for an unmanned, zero-emission aircraft to cross the South AtlanticInnovation
Researcher
Sustainability
Events
Les Assises du New Space 2025: discussions and debates on NewSpace!The 2025 edition of the Assises du New Space will be held this year on July 8-9, 2025 at the Centre des congrès de la Villette - Cité des sciences et de l'industrie in Paris. Aimed at all players in the French space ecosystem, this event is a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and debate around NewSpace, and to discover the latest technological innovations and project financing opportunities. Registration is now open!
Conference
Event
Round table
News
Let's make together a durable commitment to new horizonsAeronautics
Horizons
Sustainability
Videos
Discover the portrait of Anthéa COMELLINI doctoral student at ISAE-SUPAEROAnthéa completed her thesis in the Complex Systems Engineering Department (DISC). Her thesis is entitled “Vision-based autonomous rendezvous with non-cooperative targets”. Anthéa is attached to the AA - Aéronautique Astronautique doctoral school. Her thesis, carried out in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space, is part of the CIFRE* program ISAE-SUPAERO hosts its doctoral students in six teams at ISAE-SUPAERO, ONERA and the Clément Ader Institute, covering a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines related to aeronautics and space: aerodynamics and propulsion, structures and materials, onboard systems, networks and telecommunications, systems control and operation, human factors, electronics, signals. ISAE-SUPAERO offers a rich and diversified doctoral training program, leading to the doctorate, the highest level diploma awarded by the institute, and recognized internationally. *Since 1981, the CIFRE scheme - Conventions Industrielles de Formation par la REcherche (Industrial Conventions for Training through Research) - has enabled companies to benefit from financial assistance to recruit a young doctoral student whose research, supervised by a public research laboratory, will lead to the completion of a thesis in three years. CIFREs are fully funded by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, which has entrusted ANRT (Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie) with their implementation.
PhD
Thesis
News
Best Scientific Paper Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2024 Multidisciplinary Design OptimizationSix researchers from ISAE-SUPAERO, EPFL and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have been awarded the AIAA Best Scientific Paper Award for their paper “DeepGeo: Deep Geometric Mapping for Automated and Effective Parameterization in Aerodynamic Shape Optimization”.
Prize
Researcher
Scientific publication
Testimonials
Testimony of Giuseppe Cataldo, alumnus of the 2010 Engineer ISAE-SUPAERO (MSc) programAlumni
Space
Testimonial
News
Meeting with Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez, elected member of the Air and Space AcademyAt ISAE-SUPAERO, Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez heads SaCLaB, a research laboratory focusing on future space systems. A professor of space systems engineering, she has just been elected to the French Air and Space Academy.
Award
Space
Teacher researcher
News
Noémie Martin, E2018 engineer, receives €1 million prize from the Jean-Jacques and Félicia Lopez-Loreta Foundation for her FASTE projectNoémie Martin, an ISAE-SUPAERO (ENSICA) engineer who graduated in 2018, was awarded a prize by the Lopez-Loreta Foundation in November 2024 for her project FASTE: Fabrication Additive des Structures performantes multi maTériaux pour utilisation en Environnement sévère.
Diversity program
Prize
Science
Pages
Scientific and research integrityISAE-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.
DAEP
DCAS
DEOS
News
CASTOR Chair: Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse and ISAE-SUPAERO, a win-win partnershipThe official signing of the industrial chair, called CASTOR, between Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse and ISAE-SUPAERO took place on Tuesday 9 July at the institute's campus. This research partnership contributes to research into carbon-free aircraft.
Aeronautics
Chair
Company
News
Mars hit by meteorites more often than previously thoughtTwo researchers from ISAE-SUPAERO contributed to new discoveries based on data from the seismometer sent to Mars during the InSight mission, one of whose main objectives was to measure seismic activity on the Red Planet.
Space
News
“My summer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory”: Axel’s account, a student on the TAS Astro Advanced Master’s programmeSince May, Axel Coulon has been interning at NASA's famous JPL in Los Angeles. He is working on detecting helicopter landing sites on Mars. A student in the MS TAS Astro programme, he recounts this incredible space adventure that took him from his native Lorraine to California.
Internship
Programme
Space
Videos
Feedback: a Latecoere engineer in the ISAE-SUPAERO laboratoriesTo strengthen the links between industry and research, more than 10 industrial R&D engineers have been made available to ISAE-SUPAERO as part of the France Relance plan! Cyril Geneste, research engineer at Latecoere, is one of them. Together with Miguel Charlotte, Associate Professor at the Institute, he looks back on this fruitful two-year collaboration. Their work, carried out in the ISAE-SUPAERO laboratories, focused on the behavior of aircraft door seals, which ensure cabin airtightness. Thanks to the Institute's cutting-edge equipment and academic expertise, Cyril Geneste was able in particular to carry out numerical modeling of seals in order to test their behavior. Students in their 3rdᵉ year of engineering studies were also involved in this work.
Aeronautics
Researcher