Recognition for ambition
ERC programme and "Consolidator" grants
The ERC programme, internationally recognised for its selectivity, supports high-level exploratory research with one ambition: to push back the frontiers of knowledge.
“Consolidator” scolarships are awarded to PhD researchers with between 7 and 12 years’ experience. They represent a major milestone in their careers. Applicants are assessed on the basis of the scientific excellence of their research proposal, the quality of their professional background, and the relevance and feasibility of the project. Only the most promising researchers and projects are selected.
Naomi Morduch’s 5-year, €2.3 million grant will enable her to put together a team of PhD students, researchers and engineers. Together, they will work on an innovative project that will help provide geotechnical models adapted to extraterrestrial environments for those involved in planetary exploration.
GRAVITE programme following on from Naomi Murdoch's space bodies
The GRAVITE project, which will start in 2024 and run for 5 years, is a continuation of Naomi Murdoch’s work on the geotechnics of space objects.
Murdoch, who holds a master’s degree in astrophysics and a doctorate in planetary physics and sciences, has made an active contribution to several international space missions as a planetary scientist in the Space Systems for Planetology and Applications (SSPA) research group at ISAE-SUPAERO. From NASA’s DART, InSight and Mars 2020 missions to ESA’s Hera and JAXA’s MMX, she has acquired recognised expertise.
For the past 10 years, the study of the behaviour and mechanical properties of the surface of planetary bodies has been at the heart of its research. Today, in both terrestrial geophysics and planetary exploration, different techniques are used to determine the mechanical properties of a soil in situ. “With the GRAVITE project, our aim is to test the limits of existing techniques and develop new models that take into account the diverse nature of planetary surfaces and the reduced-gravity environment. To do this, we are going to develop a variable-gravity machine”, explains the researcher.
With this machine at the cutting edge of planetary science, the team will be able to carry out experiments in a vacuum and under a wide range of gravity conditions, down to levels a thousand times weaker than Earth’s gravity, to simulate the surfaces of small bodies (asteroids, comets, small moons, etc.). The researcher’s aim is to provide those involved in planetary exploration with geotechnical models adapted to extraterrestrial environments.
Related Content
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
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
Pages
Job offersAeronautics
Decarbonization
Internship
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
Pages
“Communication and Information Theory” (ComiT) scientific groupThe “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).
DEOS
Doctoral program
Doctoral student
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
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
Hera probe captures exceptional images of Mars and its moon DeimosDEOS
Researcher
Space
Pages
Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory - Airbus DS & ArianeGroupCreated in 2017 and renewed until 2027, this sponsorship partnership brings together Airbus Defense & Space and Ariane Group.
Chair
Company
Space
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 training programmes is a major challenge. In this regard, the French Space Defence Academy (ASD) offers programmes available within the Ministry of the Armed Forces and leverages synergies between them to provide a personalised approach to space programmes.
Space
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
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
Testimonials
Testimony of Juan-Carlos DOLADO-PEREZ, alumni of the 2008 Master's degree in Aerospace EngineeringAlumni
Space
Testimonial
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
Pages
Lasbordes Air Operations Center (COAL)The Design and Operation of Aeronautical and Space Vehicles Department (DCAS) is part of the Lasbordes Air Operations Center (COAL), located on an airfield a few kilometers from the ISAE-SUPAERO campus. As part of its aeronautical training and research activities, COAL operates a fleet of 9 light aircraft.
DCAS
Doctoral student
PhD
Pages
Paying Apprenticeship TaxAre you a company, an organisation or a structure subject to corporation tax? By directing all or part of your apprenticeship tax to ISAE-SUPAERO, you will be playing an essential role in our mission to offer a complete and unique range of very high-level scientific training in the field of aerospace engineering and to participate in the transformation of aviation & its decarbonisation for a sustainable future! By choosing ISAE-SUPAERO as your beneficiary, you are encouraging the success of tomorrow's talent!
Aeronautics
Company
Space
Pages
“Space Systems for Planetology and Applications” (SSPA) scientific groupThe “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.
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
Generalist engineer
Teacher researcher
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
Space
Pages
“Theory, Modeling and Systems Engineering” (ThéMIS) scientific groupThe “Theory, Modeling and Systems Engineering” (ThéMIS) scientific group is dedicated to the study and development of advanced methods for the design, modeling and validation of complex systems.
DISC
Doctoral student
PhD
News
CASTOR Chair: ISAE-SUPAERO and Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse celebrate 1 year of partnershipAeronautics
Chair
Partnership
Videos
Training courses: space studiesFind out more about our courses and #information in the field of space! The space dimension is strongly developed within our various training courses, whether in specific streams or dedicated programs. French and international students alike are showing a keen interest in our educational programs in Earth observation and the sciences of the Universe, as well as in the design and operation of space systems. Space research and industry employ many ISAE-SUPAERO engineers. Explore the world of space!
Program
Space
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
3 questions to... Ervan Kassarian, S-Cube member from 2015 to 2017Meet Ervan Kassarian, member of S-Cube - SUPAERO Space Section - ISAE-SUPAERO's experimental rocket club, from 2015 to 2017.
Space
Student club
Student life
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
Seven ISAE-SUPAERO students set out to conquer Mars in the Utah desertFor four weeks, seven engineering students will experience a simulation of life on Mars in the Utah desert in the United States. From 18th February to 16th March, they will conduct experiments in collaboration with CNES and several research laboratories at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS).
Space
Student club
News
ISAE-SUPAERO will be at the Paris Air Show from June 16 to 22, 2025!Aeronautics
Event
Fair
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.
Aeronautics
Certificates of advanced studies
Short internship
News
Training new skills for the future of space: COMETES is launched!Company
Job
Space
Videos
A surprise from elsewhere... from the ISS...?Hello earth? Thomas Pesquet speaking! Thomas Pesquet, French astronaut and famous ISAE-SUPAERO alumnus (class of 2001), is currently in the ISS as part of his new Alpha mission. He sent our students a personalized message from the European laboratory Columbus...
Alumni
Diversity program
Space
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
Electronics, Optronics and Signal Processing Department (DEOS)At ISAE SUPAERO, the Department of Electronics, Optronics and Signal Processing (DEOS) studies, designs and produces scientific instruments for aeronautics, space and defense applications, with a strong focus on advanced systems and planetary exploration missions.
DEOS
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
Pages
Our semesters & short programsAeronautics
Aerospace summer program
Semester research project
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
3 questions to... Marie-Bertille Mosnier, S-Cube member from 2018 to 2022Meet Marie-Bertille Mosnier, member of the S-Cube - SUPAERO Space Section - ISAE-SUPAERO's experimental rocket club, from 2018 to 2022.
Space
Student club
Student life
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
Program
Space
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
Videos
Perseverance collects first Martian sounds: explanation by Dr. Naomi Murdoch & Dr. Alexander StottDr 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.
DEOS
Researcher
Space
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
Capturing the seismic activity of an asteroid: our Apophis rendezvousDEOS
Space
News
Valentin LELOUP, quantum and optical telecommunications systems engineer: the quantum and space tandemValentin Leloup, R&D engineer at Thales, combines two fields of expertise: quantum physics and space. He holds an engineering degree from ISAE-SUPAERO 2022 and a Master 2 in fundamental physics and applications.
Alumni
Space
Videos
FRENCH SUPERCAM INSTRUMENT RECORDING THE SOUND OF INGENUITY'S 4th FLIGHTLocated 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.
DEOS
Researcher
Space
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
Event
Space
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
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
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
ResearchDAEP
DCAS
DEOS
News
Landing on Mars: a unique experience for seven studentsSeven ISAE-SUPAERO students have been selected to join the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in the United States. This replica of a Martian base will host the crew for four weeks, during which they will live in conditions similar to those found on Mars. The objective is to conduct experiments in situ in collaboration with research partners.
Space
Student club
Student life
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.
Aeronautics
Certificates of advanced studies
Company
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
Chair
Decarbonization
News
ISAE-SUPAERO announces new partnership with ESA Academy to support future Master in Aerospace Engineering studentsMaster in Aerospace Engineering
Scholarship
Space
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
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
Focus on... quantum physics at ISAE-SUPAERO: a student journeyISAE-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
Doctoral student
Generalist engineer
Videos
Sylvestre Maurice, astrophysicist and ISAE-SUPAERO alumnusAwarded a prize by the Académie des Sciences in 2020, Sylvestre Maurice #astrophysicist at the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP) in Toulouse witnessed the landing of the #Perseverance rover on Mars on February 18, 2021. A historic moment for this enthusiast, who is also the scientific manager of the onboard SuperCam instrument. A 1990 graduate of ISAE-SUPAERO, Sylvestre Maurice tells us about his career.
Alumni
Researcher
Space
Pages
“Applied Mathematics” (AM) scientific groupThe “Applied Mathematics” (AM) scientific group covers a wide range of topics: stochastic processes (especially Markov processes), numerical optimization (especially multidisciplinary optimization) and parallel computing, stabilization, control and numerical solution of partial differential equations, and financial engineering.
DISC
Doctoral student
PhD
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
Event
Innovation
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
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
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
Testimonials
Testimony of Giuseppe Cataldo, alumnus of the 2010 Engineer ISAE-SUPAERO (MSc) programAlumni
Space
News
Airbus Defence and Space and ISAE-SUPAERO train members of the Peruvian space agencyTwenty engineers from the Peruvian space agency attended a training course in Toulouse, jointly designed by ISAE-SUPAERO and Airbus Defence and Space, to develop their skills in the field of space systems and space missions.
DCAS
Short internship
Space