The history of an institution is not merely reflected in its rankings or partnerships. It is embodied in the faces of those who have shaped it, the decisions that have rooted it in a community, and the men and women who have breathed life into it.
Today, we are making two documents of rare historical value available to our entire community: those eligible for entrance exams, students, alumni, former students and enthusiasts of the history of aeronautics.
Marc Pélegrin, a visionary engineer
A biography to understand a founder
Written by Jean-Claude Ripoll, General Engineer of Armaments and honorary member of the Air and Space Academy, who was a student of Marc Pélegrin in 1960 and later became director of ENSAE (SUPAERO) in 1991, this biography of Marc Pélegrin traces the career of a visionary engineer whose influence left a profound mark on the school and, beyond that, on the aerospace landscape in Toulouse and at ONERA. Through this detailed and rigorous portrait, an entire era comes into focus: one in which France was decentralising and patiently building its technical and scientific excellence in the field of aeronautics and space.
A film to witness history being made
How did SUPAERO establish itself in Toulouse? What role did Marc Pélegrin play in this formative period? A documentary film answers these questions with a deeply personal and family-oriented perspective: directed by Michel Pélegrin, Marc’s son, and enriched by the journalistic insight of Dominique Louise Pélegrin, his daughter, this filmed account is both a historical document and a family tribute. A unique way of seeing the school’s history through the eyes of those who experienced it from the inside.
Their generosity allows everyone to reconnect with the school’s roots.
Acknowledgements
ISAE-SUPAERO would like to extend its sincere thanks to Jean-Claude Ripoll for the care and rigour he has brought to the writing of this biography, and to Michel Pélegrin for agreeing to share these exceptionally rich family and historical archives with the whole community.
A destiny shaped between MIT and Toulouse
There are figures whose names eventually become part of the city’s fabric. Since July 2024, an avenue named after Marc Pélegrin has run alongside the ONERA and ISAE-SUPAERO campuses in Toulouse. A tribute etched into the city for a man who literally anchored the school in its local area.
A graduate of the École Polytechnique (class of 1943) and SUPAERO in 1949, Marc Pélegrin understood before many others what would be the strength of the engineering grandes écoles of the future: the inseparable link between teaching and research. He had discovered the model at MIT, where he had the opportunity to further his studies between 1949 and 1950. On his return to France, he founded CERA in 1958—the first research centre in control systems affiliated with a grande école—and then, from 1964, the relocation of the École nationale supérieure de l’Aéronautique to Toulouse, making the inclusion of a research centre specific to the school an essential condition. This demand — deemed bold, even provocative in Paris — earned him the task of leading this historic mission. He became director of the school in September 1969, and simultaneously administrator of the CERT (Centre d’études et de recherches de Toulouse), an entity created in conjunction with ONERA to guarantee the scientific freedom of research.
What is now known as ISAE-SUPAERO, with its world-renowned research laboratories and its roots in the heart of Europe’s aerospace capital, bears the deep imprint of his vision.
Marc Pélegrin passed away on 1 January 2024, as he was entering his 101st year.
These archives are an invaluable treasure for our community. Understanding the history of ISAE-SUPAERO means understanding why we train the engineers and researchers of tomorrow to the high standards that define us. Marc Pélegrin, a visionary, laid the foundations for the ambition we pursue today: to make Toulouse the beating heart of European aerospace, and ISAE-SUPAERO, alongside ONERA, its beacon of excellence
Marie-Hélène Baroux Director General of ISAE-SUPAERORelated Content
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Our GovernanceThe Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace is a public scientific, cultural and professional establishment under the supervision of the Minister for the Armed Forces, constituted as a grand établissement within the meaning of article L. 717-1 of the French Education Code. Our Institute is administered by a Board of Directors and managed by a President, assisted by a Training Council and a Research Council. Our governance bodies at ISAE-SUPAERO give pride of place to representatives of industry, academic institutions and alumni.
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Testimony of Joseph Risson, ingénieur 2024 alumni & co-founder of Viraj H2 From student to entrepreneur: that's the path Joseph Risson, a 2024 graduate, has taken at ISAE-SUPAERO!Co-founder of the startup Viraj H2, created during his 3ᵉ year of engineering studies, Joseph Risson wants to contribute his expertise to the decarbonization of air travel by exploring a new hydrogen propulsion architecture! Joseph and his partner, Paul de Goÿs, were awarded the €1 million Lopez-Loreta Foundation prize in 2023 to continue their research into this innovative propulsion method, and now benefit from the support and expertise of InnovSpace, the school's official incubator, where the startup is currently housed. Like all our alumni, he plays an essential role in creating lasting links between the institution and its former students. They encourage mutual support and the sharing of professional opportunities, help strengthen the community and support future generations with their experience and resources.
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