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Hera probe captures exceptional images of Mars and its moon Deimos

Publication Date

13 March 2025

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DEOS

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Science

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Exceptional images of Mars and Deimos

On 12 March, the Hera probe completed a key stage in its mission with a close flyby of Mars. By exploiting the gravitational assistance of the Red Planet, it gained speed and adjusted its trajectory to continue its journey towards the Didymos binary system.

Although not essential to the main mission, this close encounter represents a valuable scientific opportunity. Several on-board instruments were activated to observe Mars and its moon Deimos, located less than 1,000 km away.

Hera has sent us some exceptional images from the farthest reaches of space, and we have asked our scientists involved in the Hera and Perseverance space missions to make a selection of them and comment on them.

View of Mars taken by the Asteroid Framing Camera

” In this image from Hera, acquired with the Asteroid Framing Camera, we can see the geologically varied surface of Mars, including the icy poles and the distinct differences between the northern and southern hemispheres.

Mars has a surprisingly complex environment, including a tenuous atmosphere containing clouds and sometimes even dust storms.

At ISAE-SUPAERO, we are studying Mars’ atmosphere as part of NASA’s Perseverance mission. As Hera flew over Mars, the Perseverance mission used its cameras and meteorological instruments to observe the sky and help interpret what Hera can see from orbit.”

Alexander Stott, researcher in the SSPA team at ISAE-SUPAERO and co-leader of the NASA Perseverance atmospheric science working group.

Credits : ESA

To find out more about the work of ISAE-SUPAERO’s Space Systems in Planetology & Applications research group for the Perseverance mission: https: //www.isae-supaero.fr/fr/actualites/pour-ecouter-les-premiers-sons-de-la-planete-mars-le-rover-perseverance/

Mars and Deimos seen by Hera's TIRI

” Hera has a pair of visible cameras (AFC), a hyperspectral imager (HyperScout) and a thermal imager (TIRI), all of which will be used to study the properties and characteristics of the binary asteroid system.

This image shows Deimos and Mars as seen by the thermal imager (TIRI). The images of Mars and Deimos will be used to calibrate the various instruments and enable the Hera team to prepare for the probe’s arrival in the binary asteroid system (Didymos – Dimorphos) at the end of next year.

In the SSPA team, we have been analysing data from NASA’s DART mission since 2022 and we are looking forward to studying asteroids in even greater detail using data from the Hera mission.”

Alexia Duchêne, PhD student in the SSPA team at ISAE-SUPAERO and member of the Hera scientific team

Credits: ESA/JAXA

To find out more about the work of ISAE-SUPAERO’s Space Systems in Planetology & Applications research group for the DART mission: https: //www.isae-supaero.fr/fr/actualites/dart-des-etudiants-de-l-isae-supaero-publient-de-nouveaux-resultats/

Mars and Deimos seen by Hera's Hyperscout H

” This image, taken with Hera’s HyperScout instrument, shows Deimos – the smaller (12 km) of the two Martian moons – passing directly in front of Mars. Deimos has a very dark surface compared with that of Mars. Hera’s images of Deimos will contribute to our knowledge of these small bodies. We still don’t know where the moons of Mars come from or how they formed. This is a major scientific question that will be addressed by the future Japanese mission Martian Moons eXploration (MMX).

The IDEFIX rover, developed by France and Germany as part of the MMX mission, will even attempt to land and travel on the surface of Phobos (Mars’ largest moon)! The Hera and MMX teams are working closely together to ensure that these images of the Martian moons taken by Hera provide as much information as possible to help with the preparations for the MMX mission“.

Naomi Murdoch, planetary scientist in the SSPA team at ISAE-SUPAERO and member of the DART, Hera and MMX scientific teams.

To find out more about the work of ISAE-SUPAERO’s Space Systems in Planetology & Applications research group for the MMX (Martian Moon eXploration) mission: https: //www.isae-supaero.fr/fr/actualites/mmx-idefix-r-et-des-cameras-pour-comprendre-la-lune-de-mars/

Mars and Deimos seen by Hera's Asteroid Framing Camera

” These images, taken by Hera’s visible camera (AFC), show the small dark Martian moon, Deimos (12 km), passing in front of Mars. Hera captured these images at a distance of around 1000 km from Deimos.

We are observing a side of Deimos that is rarely visible, which means that we are discovering parts of a planetary surface that have never been seen before. Behind Deimos, we can see the cratered surface of Mars.

In the lower right-hand corner of the image, we can make out the Hellas basin, one of the largest known impact craters in the Solar System – with a diameter of 2,300 km and a depth of more than 7 km.”

Jeanne Bigot, PhD student in the SSPA team at ISAE-SUPAERO and member of the Hera and DART scientific teams.

Credits: ESA

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DEOS

News

RAMSES: ISAE-SUPAERO at the heart of a historic planetary defense mission

Le sismomètre SIA développé par l'ISAE-SUPAERO est une première mondiale pour explorer l'astéroïde Apophis

DEOS

Research

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

News

ISAE-SUPAERO and Spaceflight Institute join forces to train tomorrow's manned flight experts

On July 29, 2025, ISAE-SUPAERO and the Spaceflight Institute signed a partnership agreement for the joint creation of a “Certificate of Advanced Studies in Human Spaceflight”. This new semester-long program aims to train a new generation of space professionals, combining academic excellence with operational expertise.

Certificates of advanced studies

Education

Space

News

“My summer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory”: Axel’s account, a student on the TAS Astro Advanced Master’s programme

Since 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

News

SILOE, an experimental drop tower project selected by ESA and an ESPACE grant for Alexia Duchêne

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.

DEOS

Space

Pages

Scientific and research integrity

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.

DAEP

DCAS

DEOS

News

Happy New Year, Martians!

Today marks the start of Year 39 on Mars: a Martian year lasts 687 Earth days, which is equivalent to nearly two years on our blue planet. Here’s a look back at the projects, missions, and discoveries that bring ISAE-SUPAERO closer to the Red Planet every day.

Research

Space

News

Mission Insight: the contribution of researchers from ISAE-SUPAERO

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.

DEOS

Space

Pages

UNIVERSEH

UNIVERSEH, the European Space University for Earth and Humanity, is an alliance of European universities created as part of the European Universities initiative launched by the European Commission in 2019.

Education

International

Science

News

Campus au féminin: raising girls' awareness of scientific careers

Career

Diversity program

Equal opportunities

Videos

Discover... the ISAE-SUPAERO plasma bench

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.

DEOS

News

Ariane 6: at ISAE-SUPAERO, researchers are already working on the future

The 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

Videos

Start-up insights: interview with Ugo Bonnet from the Space Flight Institute

In recent years, ISAE-SUPAERO has developed a range of services and comprehensive support for its project leaders (students, doctoral students, teacher-researchers, and alumni), earning it the title of incubator. It is in line with this support philosophy that the Institute currently hosts numerous startups that were created within its walls. Today we welcome Ugo Bonnet, CEO of the Space Flight Institute, a company that offers innovative training (in partnership with ISAE-SUPAERO) to future professionals in human spaceflight, whether on Earth or in orbit. Ugo Bonnet discusses the creation of the organization, its major successes, and its plans for the future.

Alumni

Space

Startup

Events

AASTRA Certificate: presentation webinar on March 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Air transport

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

Pages

Our doctoral training

Doctoral program

Doctoral student

PhD

Pages

Design and Operation of Aerospace Vehicles Department (DCAS)

At ISAE-SUPAERO, the Design and Operation of Aerospace Vehicles Department (DCAS) develops methods, simulation tools and experimental platforms for the design and operation of aerospace vehicles.

DCAS

PhD

Researcher

Events

2025 edition of "La nuit des chercheurs"

Meet ISAE-SUPAERO researchers at the Nuit des Chercheurs de Toulouse, on October 3 at 6pm at the Halles de la Cartoucherie, on the theme of “Intelligence(s)”!

Aerospace

Researcher

Science

News

An exceptional scholarship for an innovative project

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.

DEOS

Scholarship

Space

News

Mattéo Gouzien: itinerary of an award-winning engineer and PhD student committed to decarbonized aviation!

Mattéo Gouzien, a graduate of ISAE-SUPAERO and currently a doctoral student at IMS Bordeaux and ONERA, has been passionate about science from an early age. His remarkable academic and personal career has been guided by a relentless desire for knowledge and a quest for meaning. Winner of the SEE's André Blanc-Lapierre national prize and of the PEGASUS 2025 student conference, Mattéo talks about his rich career path: from preparatory school to his thesis on reducing aviation emissions.

Aeronautics

Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)

Portrait

Videos

Sophie Adenot: from ISAE-SUPAERO to space

Meet Sophie Adenot, astronaut at the European Space Agency (ESA) and ISAE-SUPAERO alumna, who answers three questions! 🚀

Alumni

Diversity program

Space

Testimonials

Testimony from Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez, elected member of the Air and Space Academy

DCAS

Space

Teacher researcher

Pages

Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory - Airbus DS & ArianeGroup

Created in 2017 and renewed until 2027, this sponsorship partnership brings together Airbus Defense & Space and Ariane Group.

Aerospace

Chair

Company

News

The 2025 Edmond Brun Prize from the French Academy of Sciences awarded to Annafederica Urbano, professor at ISAE-SUPAERO

On October 28, 2025, the Academy of Sciences awarded the Edmond Brun Prize to Annafederica Urbano, professor of space launch vehicles at ISAE-SUPAERO. This biennial physics award recognizes her entire body of work in the field of space propulsion.

DCAS

News

Prize

Videos

Visiting professors at ISAE-SUPAERO: DAN SCHEERES

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.

DEOS

Researcher

Space

Pages

Innovating in a World of Transition - Safran

The 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

Videos

Discover... ISAE-SUPAERO's cryogenic equipment for electrical testing

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.

DEOS

Testimonials

Testimonial from Sylvain ASSOGBA, an AM IEM student participating in the “Startech Summer School – Space Entrepreneurship: from Business Ideas to Start-Ups” in Rome

Education

International

Space

News

Listening to the Martian past: ISAE-SUPAERO at the heart of the ExoMars mission

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.

DEOS

Researcher

Science

Testimonials

Testimony of Juan-Carlos DOLADO-PEREZ, alumni of the 2008 Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering

Alumni

Space

Testimonial

Events

AASTRA Certificate: Introductory Webinar on July 9 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Air transport

News

Meeting with Yves Gourinat, elected as a full member of the Air and Space Academy

Yves 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

News

ISAE-SUPAERO back on mission with Hera

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.

DEOS

Space

Videos

Sylvestre Maurice presents the SUPERCAM / Martian Exploration educational kit

The ‘SUPERCAM - Martian Exploration’ educational kit project was initiated by five partners: ISAE-SUPAERO, the Toulouse Academy, CNRS, CNES and Cité de l'espace. Under the guidance and supervision of astrophysicist Sylvestre Maurice, first-year students at ISAE-SUPAERO developed this educational tool to raise awareness of space exploration in classrooms, from sixth form to final year. This kit is available to middle and high school teachers and can be adapted to offer educational lessons related to this theme.

Diversity program

Equal opportunities

Researcher

Pages

Learning, Decision, Optimisation (ADO) Scientific Group

DISC

Doctoral student

PhD

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

Pages

Research

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.

DAEP

DCAS

DEOS

Videos

Sylvestre Maurice, astrophysicist and ISAE-SUPAERO alumnus

Awarded 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

Testimonials

Testimony from Yves Gourinat, elected full member of the Air and Space Academy

DMSM

Structures and materials

Teacher researcher

News

Airbus Defence and Space and ISAE-SUPAERO train members of the Peruvian space agency

Twenty 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

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

Videos

3 questions to Marie Delaroche, 3ᵉ year student and MDRS 293 crew commander

Since 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

BROMO: the joint venture project involving major European space industry players presented to ISAE-SUPAERO students

In December 2025, ISAE-SUPAERO welcomed major players in the European space industry (Airbus, Thales and Leonardo) for an exceptional conference on the BROMO project.

Conference

Space

Pages

Theory, Modelling, and Systems Engineering (ThéMIS) Scientific Group

The “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

Pages

Support for the Development of the ISAE Group - GIFAS

GIFAS (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

Space: Thomas Pesquet and Arnaud Prost will embark on two unprecedented space missions in 2027

France is stepping up its space ambitions. At the Choose France summit, the President of the Republic announced that French astronauts Thomas Pesquet and Arnaud Prost will take part in two commercial space missions in 2027, as part of an agreement between France and the American company Vast.

Alumni

Exploration

Space

Pages

Our Semester & Short Programmes

Discover ISAE-SUPAERO's academic excellence through our semester and short programmes, open to international students.

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Aerospace summer program

News

CASTOR Chair: ISAE-SUPAERO and Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse celebrate 1 year of partnership

Aeronautics

Chair

Partnership

News

ISAE-SUPAERO will be at the Paris Air Show from June 16 to 22, 2025!

Aeronautics

Event

Fair

News

Meteorite impact reveals new insights into Mars

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’.

DEOS

Space

Pages

Our Short Modules

Derived from the Institute's Advanced Master programmes, our short modules are aimed at professionals wishing to develop specific skills in Aeronautics, Space, Project Management, Systems Engineering, or Digital Systems.

Advanced Master

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Testimonials

Testimony from Axel Coulon, student (class of 2024) of the TAS ASTRO Advanced Master®

Advanced Master

Space

Testimonial

Pages

Lasbordes Air Operations Center (COAL)

The Department of Design and Operation of Aeronautical and Space Vehicles (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 8 light aircraft.

DCAS

Doctoral student

PhD

Events

French-Korean workshop: “Cryogenic hydrogen for aviation”.

Event

Research

Science

News

Seven ISAE-SUPAERO students set out to conquer Mars in the Utah desert

For 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

Videos

Discover... the ISAE-SUPAERO irradiator

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.

DEOS

News

The COMETES project - Skills and Careers in Space - is launching its website, a platform dedicated to skills and careers in the space sector.

The space sector is undergoing profound change driven by New Space, accelerating technological innovation, and environmental challenges. These transformations are leading to rapid changes in the careers and skills required within the industry. In this context, COMETES is launching a platform dedicated to space-related skills, careers, and training.

Education

Space

Pages

Institute for Sustainable Aviation

Created 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

News

ISAE-SUPAERO publishes an aviation and climate report

Sustainability

Teacher researcher

News

ISAE-SUPAERO announces new partnership with ESA Academy to support future Master in Aerospace Engineering students

Aerospace

Master in Aerospace Engineering

Scholarship

News

Let's make together a durable commitment to new horizons

Aeronautics

Horizons

Sustainability

News

Landing on Mars: a unique experience for seven students

Seven 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

Videos

FRENCH SUPERCAM INSTRUMENT RECORDING THE SOUND OF INGENUITY'S 4th FLIGHT

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.

DEOS

Researcher

Space

Pages

Semester Research Projects

Take your studies to the next level by participating in a semester-long research project at ISAE-SUPAERO: immerse yourself in cutting-edge laboratories alongside international experts and contribute to advances in aeronautics and space technology.

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Aerospace summer program

Events

The "Assises du NewSpace" returns on July 7 & 8, 2026!

Event

Space

News

3 questions to... Marie-Bertille Mosnier, S-Cube member from 2018 to 2022

Meet 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

Testimonials

Testimonial of Baptiste Sigal, Advanced Master® TAS ASTRO student (class) 2025

Advanced Master

Aerospace

Space

Videos

Sophie Adenot is flying out on February 11th for a eight-month mission with Crew-12 on the ISS!

Today, the entire ISAE-SUPAERO community is coming together: students, staff, faculty, and alumni are showing their support for Sophie Adenot, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and ISAE-SUPAERO alumna, as she embarks on a eight-month mission to the ISS. Sophie is the second French woman, 30 years after Claudie Haigneré, to fly on a long-duration mission. On the ISS, she will conduct around 200 scientific experiments, including 10 French experiments, covering fields such as medicine and materials physics. Have a good flight, Sophie. We will be following you throughout this amazing journey!

Alumni

Exploration

Space

News

Mars mission simulation: a scientific experiment, a human adventure

Like 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

News

ISAE-SUPAERO is co-hosting the 16th EASN International Conference in Toulouse

ISAE-SUPAERO is pleased to host the 16th edition of the international conference organized by EASN in Toulouse from October 27 to 30, 2026, dedicated to the theme: “Innovation in Aeronautics and Space for Sustainability Today and Tomorrow.”

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Innovation

News

Sophie Adenot Returns to Earth

Sophie Adenot, an ESA astronaut and ISAE-SUPAERO engineering graduate, is back on Earth after spending nearly 8 months on the ISS for her Epsilon mission.

Alumni

Event

Space

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

Videos

Discover... ISAE-SUPAERO's mobile ground robots

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.

DEOS

News

DMSM's SA-I research team wins best poster award at 14th EASN conference

Several DMSM researchers received the best poster award at the 14ᵉ EASN (European Aeronautic Science Network) conference dedicated this year to the theme “Innovation in Aviation & Sace towards sustainability today & tomorrow”!

Conference

Prize

Researcher

Testimonials

Testimony of Giuseppe Cataldo, alumnus of the 2010 Engineer ISAE-SUPAERO programme

Alumni

Space

Testimonial

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 Researchers Receive IEEE NSREC 2025 Outstanding Paper Award for Advance in Space Imaging Sensor Physics

Researchers from ISAE-SUPAERO and their partners have received the Outstanding Conference Paper Award at the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference 2025 (NSREC) in Nashville, Tenessee, the most important international conference dedicated to radiation effects in electronic systems for space and nuclear applications.

DEOS

Prize

Research

Videos

SUPERCAM Educational Kits / Martian Exploration: Students at the controls of the kits

Follow ISAE-SUPAERO students as they create educational kits, a digital educational tool designed to raise awareness of space exploration that can be used in classrooms from Year 7 to Year 13.

Diversity program

Equal opportunities

Space

Videos

The Dart mission has hit its target: explanations from Dr Naomi Murdoch, planetary scientist at ISAE-SUPAERO

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!

DEOS

Researcher

Space

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Aerodynamics, Energetics, and Propulsion Department (DAEP)

At ISAE SUPAERO, the Aerodynamics, Energetics, and Propulsion Department has a staff of 62, 30 research projects including 5 on a European scale, an exceptional fleet of test facilities for teaching and research purposes, and three research groups contributing to a growth strategy focused on 4 themes of current scientific and social-economic challenge, supported by 2 structuring projects: the SAA wind tunnel and the IC3 large-scale simulation code.

DAEP

PhD

Researcher

News

3 questions to... Loïc Jecker, S-Cube member from 2011 to 2013

Meet Loïc Jecker, member of S-Cube - SUPAERO Space Section - ISAE-SUPAERO's experimental rocket club, from 2011 to 2013.

Space

Student club

Student life

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Communication and Information Theory (ComiT) Scientific Group

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).

DEOS

Doctoral program

Doctoral student

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Apply today for a program at ISAE-SUPAERO or ENAC - École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile!

The TSAAE application platform is now open: discover our world-renowned programs and apply online for the 2026 academic year before November 28 at midnight (French time)!

Advanced Master

Aeronautics

Aerospace

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ISAE-SUPAERO researchers explore the quantum universe

DISC

Researcher

Scientific publication

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Unlocking the secrets of earthquakes with stratospheric balloons

Publication Date

10 March 2025

Category

Research

Tag

DEOS

Researcher

Science

A new approach to studying earthquakes from the stratosphere

A team of researchers led by Solène Gerier, a doctor in Earth and solid planet sciences, an engineer in applied mathematics and a post-doctoral researcher at ISAE-SUAPERO, has taken a major step forward in the analysis of earthquakes.

Their study focuses on the analysis of acoustic waves generated by earthquakes using an innovative recording method for the object of study. The waves were recorded in the stratosphere using pressure sensors installed on high-altitude balloons. This new approach makes it possible to study earthquakes by analysing the infrasound signals they emit through the atmosphere.

It is based on the pioneering work of Raphaël Garcia, a teacher-researcher at ISAE-SUPAERO and a specialist in space and planetary seismology. In 2022, he and his team demonstrated in the Geophysical Research Letter the feasibility of such observations during the CNES Stratéole-2 mission in collaboration with the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique. The breakthrough proposed by Solène Gerier makes it possible to trace the seismic source of these signals, analysing only the acoustic contributions in the atmosphere.

Complex modelling to decipher signals

To disentangle the various components of the signals recorded, the scientist and her team developed a sophisticated model. This incorporates not only the trace of the infrasound rays, but also the analysis of the background noise and the response of the ‘balloon platforms’. An additional analysis was carried out to gain a better understanding of the origin of the signals, using the infrasound ray tracing technique as well as an analysis of the noise associated with balloon platform movements.

The simulations, carried out using the SPECFEM2D-DG-LNS software, revealed that the wave signature was mainly influenced by the characteristics of the earthquake and the earth’s internal structure, and not by atmospheric conditions. “Ground vibrations produce acoustic waves that can be detected in the atmosphere. These waves have a particular signature because they were produced by seismic waves, which are themselves characteristic of the earthquake and the nature of the ground in which these waves propagate”, explains Solène Gerier. “Modelling has enabled us to check that these characteristics are preserved even in the atmosphere.

Promising results

While the simulations were unable to reproduce exactly the shape of the waves observed in the 0.05 to 0.3 Hz frequency band, they did reveal some interesting phenomena. In particular, the researchers observed a dispersion of seismic surface waves in the pressure recordings. The prolonged oscillations observed after the main signal can be explained in part by the complex vertical movements of the ground and by the multiple reflections of the infrasound on the topography.

In addition to its application on Earth, this methodology could prove particularly valuable for exploring other planets, as Raphaël Garcia points out:“These platforms are interesting for planets on which we cannot deploy a seismometer on the surface because the atmosphere is too hot. This is particularly the case for the planet Venus (450°C at the surface), where we think that earthquakes will be detected in the future through the atmospheric disturbances they cause.

This study, which is a continuation of the research carried out by the Institute’s DEOS/SSPA team, demonstrates the considerable potential of airborne platforms for studying earthquakes, both on Earth and on other planets.

To consult the scientific publication

Solène Gerier, a PhD in Earth and solid planet sciences, applied mathematics engineer and post-doctoral researcher at ISAE-SUPAERO, is interested in various aspects of the Earth's atmosphere, including :

modelling acoustic waves produced by natural hazards (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions)
detection of disturbances induced in the stratosphere or ionosphere
atmospheric characteristics and models

Our Core Foundations

Publication Date

10 March 2025

Category

Tag

Aerospace

Institute

Marie-Hélène Baroux, President of ISAE-SUPAERO, presents the 10 foundations that make our Institute a world leader in higher education and research in aerospace engineering. At ISAE-SUPAERO, students, teachers-researchers, alumni and partners interact to develop innovative solutions to today's technological and industrial challenges. They help to position our Institute as a major player in the transition of the civil and military aerospace sector.

“ISAE-SUPAERO is the leading engineering school in the field of aeronautics and space, in particular through the ISAE Group, which brings together 9 French aerospace engineering schools and offers a wide range of programmes dedicated to the field (engineering, Master, Advanced Master, and doctorate).

Joining ISAE-SUPAERO means benefiting from a world-class education with research and innovation central to strategic sectors of the future.

We are committed to a sustainable future, with an in-depth transformation of our teaching and research to include climate and societal issues. We are convinced of the important role of engineers and scientists in building a stable and inclusive world.

Since 2020, we have been deploying a concrete strategy based on flagship projects of international scope, coordinating initiatives with academic players in Toulouse and placing our resources and results at the service of society and European sovereignty.

As a fervent advocate of diversity in the service of innovation and society, we are also taking proactive steps to welcome students from a wide range of social backgrounds by awarding grants and supporting young people of all genders in high schools.

ISAE-SUPAERO is under the authority of the French Ministry of Armed Forces and is also a partner of the Ecole Polytechnique, HEC, and Sciences Po Paris. We have connections with more than 100 prestigious universities worldwide. More than 40% of our 1,900 students on campus come from outside France, reflecting the global mosaic of aerospace enthusiasts across more than 60 different nationalities.“

Our motto underlines the commitment of every member of our educational community to accompany our students towards high levels of academic and professional excellence, with passion.

It reflects our ambition to educate top-level engineers and researchers capable of meeting the complex challenges of aeronautics, space, and advanced systems.

At the service of society, our mission is to educate engineers to the highest level in order to maintain the European aeronautics and space industry and research, both civil and defence, at the forefront of the world, by relying on our 3 pillars: education, research, and innovation.

Our raison d'être is enshrined in our contract of objectives and performance: ISAE-SUPAERO's raison d'être is to educate high-level scientific and humanistic engineers who are innovative and capable of mastering the complex challenges of tomorrow's world.

We are committed to this mission in order to keep the European aerospace industry and research, both civil and military, at the forefront of the world. In this way, we are contributing to French and European sovereignty and prosperity, as well as to the progress of humankind.

At ISAE-SUPAERO, we are committed to educating engineers and scientists of excellence, embodying a diversity that fosters innovation with values centred on initiative, respect, and responsibility.

Each graduate is prepared to meet the global challenges of tomorrow's world and to play a central role as an engineer, entrepreneur, or scientist, in innovating for a sustainable and sovereign society.

At ISAE-SUPAERO, we offer a wide range of programmes, both initial and continuing, to meet the major challenges of the future, particularly in the aerospace sector.

As Polytechnique's application school for the general engineering curriculum, our Institute has expanded its educational offerings to include specialised engineering programmes as well as programmes open to international students.

A range of face-to-face and digital executive education programmes enables professionals to specialise throughout their careers.

In six years, our Institute has doubled its research activities, developing a resolutely interdisciplinary approach focused on major societal issues.

This dynamic approach is underpinned by close collaboration with academic and scientific partners, both locally and internationally, to enhance the impact of our work. More than a third of our research activities are directly linked to sustainable aeronautics and space, and several theses are leading to major developments in the industry and in fundamental—civil or defence—research. ISAE-SUPAERO and ENAC are working on the creation of a joint research laboratory to consolidate a systemic approach to the aeronautics and space of tomorrow.

At ISAE-SUPAERO, innovation is at the heart of our education and research. Our Institute educates the innovators of tomorrow and supports the maturation of technologies developed in our research laboratories. On campus, we encourage our students, staff, and faculty to develop their entrepreneurial spirit and their ability to make things happen, thanks to practical education, methodological support, and an 800m² space dedicated to innovation, including a Digital Lab, a prototyping space, and a start-up incubator.

Our students benefit from personalised support to bring their projects to fruition, whether in technological development, applied research, or entrepreneurship. Thanks to the FabLab, they can experiment, invent, design, and build prototypes to bring their ideas to life. For our students and alumni who want to go further, the incubator provides the ideal setting to transform their concepts into start-ups and take on the technological challenges of tomorrow.

For more than 100 years, we have maintained a close relationship with the industrial world, enabling our students to develop skills in line with market needs.

At ISAE-SUPAERO, we are at the heart of Europe's aeronautics and space capital.

Our location facilitates close exchanges with companies in the sector, from large to small, as well as with the rich academic and research fabric of the Occitanie region.
Beyond this region, we are forging strong partnerships with academics and industry from all over the world based on our three pillars: education, research, and innovation.

At ISAE-SUPAERO, our students are truly open to the world. Every year, more than 40% of our students come from abroad from around sixty different countries. Our international reputation is illustrated by the agreements we have signed with more than 100 prestigious universities around the world for exchange programmes, as well as by our collaborative research projects with laboratories and organizations abroad, including MIT, ESA, and NASA. This diversity creates a unique environment conducive to exchange and innovation, and prepares students for international careers in all strategic and innovative sectors.

We have the honour of counting many pioneering and innovative engineers among our 26,000 alumni, such as Henri Coanda, creator of the first jet plane, and Henri Lefebvre, designer of Citroën's 2 CV and DS cars. Some great leaders such as Marcel Dassault (founder of Dassault Aviation) or Henri Ziegler (CEO of Aérospatiale and founder of Airbus Industries) built European aeronautics, while others like Guillaume Faury (CEO of Airbus) are piloting it today. Our many young alumni astronauts (Thomas Pesquet, Luca Parmitano, Samantha Cristoforetti, Sophie Adenot, Arnaud Prost, and Anthea Comellini) keep the European space dream alive. Finally, we are proud to have educated the heads of young, fast-growing companies such as Romain Moulin of Exotec and Benoît Lemaignan of Verkor, our first two French industrial unicorns; Eloa Guillotin of Beyond Aero, working to develop the 1^st hydrogen-powered electric aircraft; and Fabien Apper of U-Space. We hope that our future alumni will also transform the world in the long term.

Since 1968, ISAE-SUPAERO has been based in the heart of the European capital of aeronautics and space, the favourite city of French students between the Pyrenees, the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean. Our 19-hectare campus is a lively and welcoming place, with a student residence of around 1,000 rooms, a wide range of sports facilities, and around a hundred student, cultural, and technical clubs, encouraging an intense community life on site.

Our Institute also boasts cutting-edge, world-class research facilities, supporting academic and scientific excellence. Our learning centre, the Aérothèque, offers 2,500m²of space reserved for a vast collection of documents, as well as rooms for collaborative working and flexible spaces for meetings, workshops, exhibitions, and conferences.

An environment that is the envy of many!

Our roadmap

Making a Lasting Commitment to New Horizons

Publication Date

10 March 2025

Category

Tag

Horizons

Sustainability

Our world is facing major technological, health and environmental challenges. Although they are diverse in nature, they all share one thing in common: their great complexity, which combines scientific and social dimensions. It is the job of engineers to build bridges between science and society, using science to take concrete action in society. To address the complexity of these challenges, engineers have a voice to speak with and solutions to propose.

Our world is facing major technological, health, and environmental challenges. Although they are diverse in nature, they share a common trait: their great complexity, which blends scientific and social dimensions. It is the role of engineers to bridge the gap between science and society, drawing on the former to take concrete action within the latter. To address the complexity of these challenges, engineers can utilise their voices and propose solutions.

Engineers Must Take Part in Public Debate and Exercise Their Role as Citizen-Engineers

Our world is facing major technological, health, and environmental challenges. Although they are diverse in nature, they all share one thing in common: their great complexity, which combines scientific and social dimensions.

It is the role of engineers to bridge the gap between science and society, using science to take concrete action in society. Their role is crucial in addressing the complexity of these challenges by proposing solutions that are ambitious, scientifically sound, and socially acceptable. Engineers have a voice to be heard, yet they are all too rarely heard in public debate.

Higher education and research are major levers in the transition to a sustainable society. In recent years, our students’ awareness of climate issues has become very high, as shown by their growing participation in the dedicated training modules that we have set up over the last ten years. Their massive and unprecedented involvement encourages us to think even more deeply about our contribution to this transition.

A leading engineering school such as ours remains fundamentally attached to the notion of progress developed in the Age of Enlightenment. We believe that advances in science should enable humanity to gradually take control of its own destiny, provided it makes good use of them. We are aware that we have a special role to play in this respect, not only by contributing through our research to the advancement of knowledge, but above all by educating young engineers to make the best use of it. We are firmly committed to this.

The Ecological Transition is the Major Challenge Facing the Aerospace Industry

The history of aeronautics and space is that of a pioneering industry that has fulfilled one of mankind’s oldest dreams. Crossing the Atlantic in an aeroplane or sending a human being to the Moon: over the last century, aerospace engineers have repeatedly shown that they are capable of doing what many thought was impossible. They can help to do the same for the challenge of ecological transition.

They have already made a major contribution to the diagnosis of the situation; it was thanks to balloons and aeroplanes that the science of the atmosphere was first developed. More recently, it was thanks to the observation satellites put into orbit over the last few decades that it has been possible, for the first time in human history, to measure the state of the atmosphere and the oceans over the entire surface of the globe. Without this, it would have been impossible to understand the phenomena and validate the scientific models of global warming. Now they have to work hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero, starting in their own field, which is not the easiest.

In barely 100 years, aeronautical engineers have invented, made safe, and democratised air transportation. We are no longer surprised by this, but isn’t it extraordinary that today it is faster, more comfortable, safer, and cheaper to take the plane than the car or the train, when you want to cover distances of more than 1,000 kilometres? The energy efficiency of air transportation has made equally impressive progress. But that’s not enough. Having invented, made safe, and democratised air transportation, we now need to decarbonise it. This is a new issue, a new challenge, just as ambitious as the previous ones—we need to invent new aircraft, using all the technological resources and creativity of our engineers.

The technological avenues have been identified: energy sources, materials, structures, aerodynamics, engines, etc. There is a considerable amount of work to be done to bring all these technologies to maturity and bring them up to the level of reliability and safety required for air transportation. This is the role of the new generation of engineers who will have to invent new, low-carbon aircraft that are as reliable and competitive as ever, based on the latest scientific advances—a fabulous challenge for decades to come.

ISAE-SUPAERO is Making a Long-Term Commitment Today

The education model of France’s leading engineering schools combines high scientific standards, a broad multidisciplinary approach, and a commitment to business and society. Our students are destined to become key players in the ecological transition.
The pioneering spirit and potential for innovation that are in the DNA of aeronautical engineers, and in particular those at ISAE-SUPAERO, encourage us to go even further.

Over the past year, we have mobilised a number of working groups, students, teaching and research staff, industrial partners, and governing bodies to examine in greater depth and reformulate our strategic commitment to sustainable development. Together, we have faced this formidable challenge, and we are convinced that it also represents a tremendous opportunity for our students. We are convinced that it is possible to transform the aerospace sector over the coming decades to make it a major component of a sustainable society. Space will play an increasingly important role in monitoring the state of our planet, and air transportation can be decarbonised so that it can continue to meet the long-distance transportation needs of future generations without impacting the climate.

We have a duty to commit to this without further delay:

to play our role within the aerospace sector, by assuming our responsibility to prepare for the future and anticipate the necessary transformations;
to meet the expectations of our current and future students and employees; and
to remain true to our history and our motto ‘Excellence with Passion’, by educating engineers who will be at the forefront of the transformation of the aerospace sector.

We have therefore made a commitment to mobilise our teaching skills and scientific expertise to help build the aeronautical and space components of a sustainable society, and in particular to invent the low-carbon air transportation of the future. We are implementing this commitment through a renewed sustainable development strategy: HORIZONS.

The aim of this approach is threefold:

to make the Institute a committed player in the sustainability of aeronautical mobility and the space sector by educating the engineers and managers who will take up this challenge, and by directing our research and innovation activities in this direction;
to give our future graduates the keys to contributing to the public debate on energy transition and a sustainable society, based on a scientific approach and their ability to master complex systems; and
to continue to reduce the carbon footprint of our activities and our campus.

Since 1909, ISAE-SUPAERO has been training systems engineers with a global approach who, through their excellence, contribute to the emergence of solutions and are capable of solving major problems and making a positive commitment to the future of society. We educate critical thinkers who are aware of changes in the world and of the fact that science and technology are at the heart of major societal issues.

The aeronautics industry is constantly changing. It needs to rethink, transform, and reinvent itself. It will need new visions as well as different and emerging skills. At ISAE-SUPAERO, we have a role to play in this adventure by preparing our graduates to transform and reinvent the aerospace sector of the future and to become involved in major pioneering projects as they have done since the beginning of the 20^th century, and by contributing to research in this area.

The deployment of this strategy should also be an opportunity to unite our community around an ambitious collective project that is vital for the future. Together, we can make a lasting commitment to new horizons!

Together, we're making a lasting commitment to new horizons!

Marie-Hélène Baroux President of ISAE-SUPAERO

In the face of global warming, everyone is called upon to make a contribution; now is not the time for denial. Higher education and research are major levers in the transition to a sustainable society. In recent years, our students have become increasingly aware of environmental issues, as evidenced by their participation and interest in dedicated courses and projects.

Deepening Our Thinking on Transitions

The massive and unprecedented mobilisation of our students has encouraged us to go further in our reflections on our Institute’s contribution to the transition towards a sustainable society. Over the course of 2021, several working groups including students, faculty, industrial partners, and governing bodies have been mobilised to deepen and reformulate our strategic commitment to sustainable development. Our commitment can be summarised as follows:

To ensure that ISAE-SUPAERO plays its role within the aerospace sector by assuming our responsibility to prepare for the future and anticipate the necessary transformations.
To meet the expectations of our current and future students, and those of our employees.
To remain true to our history and our motto ‘Excellence with Passion’ by educating engineers who will be at the forefront of the transformation of the aerospace sector.

Our Commitment: ‘Horizons’

We are committed to mobilising our teaching skills and scientific expertise to help build the aerospace components of a sustainable society, and in particular to invent the low-carbon air transportation of tomorrow.

Our commitment is set out in a renewed sustainable development strategy called ‘Horizons.’

Our Three Objectives

To make the Institute a committed player in the sustainability of aeronautical mobility and the space sector by educating the engineers and managers who will take up this challenge and by directing our research and innovation activities in this direction.

To give future graduates the keys to contributing to the public debate on energy transition and a sustainable society, based on a scientific approach and their ability to master complex systems.

To continue to reduce the carbon footprint of our activities and our campus.

Deploying our strategy is also an opportunity to unite a community around an ambitious collective project that is vital for the future.

Marie-Hélène Baroux President of ISAE-SUPAERO

Our Strong Commitments

Since 2021, our Institute has been committed to reducing its environmental impact in the following areas:

Campus management.
Integrating the decarbonisation of aviation into teaching and research.

Numerous actions have been identified and some have been carried out or are underway.

Our roadmap is linked to three objectives in our Contract of Objectives and Performance, to be achieved by 2026.

>50%

of research projects aimed at decarbonisation or linked to the transition to sustainable aerospace

3,000+ ECTS

awarded related to sustainable development

<8,000

tCO2e emitted per year

Our 'Horizons' Roadmap

Coming soon.

Human Factors and Neuroergonomics for Aviation Safety – AXA

Publication Date

27 February 2025

Category

Tag

Aeronautics

Chair

Company

The AXA Chair aims to advance research into human factors and, more specifically, human-machine interfaces, with a view to improving air safety.

Human Factors and Neuroergonomics for Aviation Safety

2014-2034

The Chair supports research undertaken by ISAE-SUPAERO in the field of neuroergonomics, human factors and human-machine interfaces, with the aim of improving aviation safety.

4 topics:

Identify and analyze the mechanisms involved in abnormal crew decisions and their apparent deafness to various alarms when unexpected situations occur
Develop new generations of neurotechnologies (brain-machine interface) to optimize the symbiosis between pilot and aircraft
Deploy an interdisciplinary approach combining the use of advanced neuroimaging, signal processing, artificial intelligence and experiments using ISAE-SUPAERO’s experimental resources.
Implement an international mobility program between ISAE-SUPAERO and its partners around the world, to bring together the skills of these laboratories.

Head of the chaire

Frédéric Dehais

Professor and researcher in neuroergonomics and human factors

Learn More About the DCAS Department

Frédéric Dehais

Professor and researcher in neuroergonomics and human factors

+33 61 33 80 80

Understanding the Issues via our Aviation and Climate Reference Framework

Publication Date

24 February 2025

Category

Tag

Horizons

Sustainability

A Reference Report

These questions have prompted ISAE-SUPAERO to write a reference report. The aim of our work is not to take sides or to answer the various questions raised, as the answers depend largely on societal choices and techno-economic developments that are impossible to predict with any certainty.

On the other hand, the aim of our report is to provide everyone, from our position as scientists, with the information they need to form informed opinions on these issues, as objectively as possible. As a knock-on effect, we also hope that this report will stimulate debate and help to shape a collective position on the crucial issues of aviation and climate.

The Key Messages of Our ‘Aviation and Climate’ Guidelines

Aviation and Climate Issues

The purpose of our ‘Aviation and Climate’ reference guide is to provide scientific elements that are useful for understanding aviation and climate issues. This work has been subjected to a specific review process, involving both ISAE-SUPAERO staff and external researchers from various institutes.

The 5 Key Messages From Our Report

The Climate Impact of Aviation: Estimates That Depend on the Scope of the Study

Aviation contributes to global warming through its CO2 emissions and a number of non-CO2 effects such as condensation trails. The assessment of the impact of the aviation sector can be limited to CO2 emissions alone, or it can consider all the effects together. In the first case, commercial aviation was responsible for 2.6% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions in 2018. If we consider all the effects (CO2 and non-CO2), commercial aviation accounted for 5.1% of the climate impact over the period 2000-2018.

Non-CO2 Effects: Promising Strategies

Specific strategies to reduce non-CO2 effects represent a major lever for limiting the climate impact of aviation. Because of the short lifetime of non-CO2 effects, these strategies can be effective quickly. Even if more research is needed to reduce uncertainties, these strategies could be deployed in the short term. Nevertheless, these measures cannot replace efforts to reduce the sector's CO2 emissions.

CO2 Effects: Technological Opportunities Limited in the Short Term

By 2050, disruptive solutions will make it possible to envisage a low-carbon aircraft. In the shorter term, the only mature levers for reducing CO2 emissions within the timeframe set by the climate emergency are incremental improvements in aircraft efficiency and the use of biofuels. However, incremental improvements are on the verge of reaching their technological limits, while the constraints of energy availability, production capacity, and competition over uses are likely to limit the availability of biofuels.

A Necessary Trade-Off Between Traffic Levels and the Share of the Global Carbon Budget Allocated to the Aviation Sector

Apart from technological and operational levers, the level of traffic and the share of the global carbon budget allocated to aviation are the two parameters that determine the sustainability of a trajectory for the aviation sector. Their value must be set by political decisions. The limits on the aviation sector's ability to rapidly reduce its CO2 emissions imply that, if traffic grows at the rate envisaged by the aviation industry, it will consume a larger share of the carbon budget than its current share of emissions, thus requiring other sectors of activity to reduce their emissions faster than the average.

Uncertainties Over Energy Availability

The decarbonisation of aviation fuels could be limited by the availability of low-carbon energy resources. Their massive use could then lead to a displacement of environmental problems, particularly related to land use. Generally speaking, it is necessary to consider the transition of the aviation sector in a systemic way within the framework of planetary limits.

Consult Our "Aviation and Climate" Guidelines

Living a Low-carbon Campus

Publication Date

24 February 2025

Category

Tag

Horizons

Sustainability

Why a Low-Carbon Strategy?

A Global Observation

The increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs), particularly CO2, in the atmosphere has already led to global warming of more than 1.1°C compared with the pre-industrial era, and could reach +6 to +7°C by the end of the century—by way of comparison, the last ice age was only 4 to 5°C colder than the pre-industrial era.

The consequences of this sudden rise in temperature are threatening the development of our societies. To reduce global warming and its impact as much as possible, it is therefore imperative that we limit our greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible.

With this in mind, the French government has adopted a strategy (SNBC) and has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. At the international level, the Paris Agreement, signed by 195 countries in 2015, aims to keep global warming “well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels and to continue action to limit the rise in temperatures to 1.5°C.” These two agreements mean that we must reduce our GHG emissions by 5 to 10% per year (depending on the scenarios and assumptions) from now on.

A Regulatory Obligation

Public institutions are legally required to publish their GHG emissions report every three years. In other words, they must measure the GHG emissions generated by all their activities.

Our Response: An Annual Carbon Report

Aware of this global situation, we have not waited for the regulatory obligation of 2023 to carry out our GHG assessment, from 2019, in order to quantify all of our high-emission activities and identify the various levers for reducing them. At ISAE-SUPAERO, we have gone even further, as part of our “Horizons” plan, by calculating and publishing our GHG emissions balance every year.

Our carbon assessment was carried out over a wide area, including international mobility (students and staff). We have identified six priority areas:

purchasing,
mobility,
energy,
food,
digital,
fixed assets.

Since 2019, we have been carrying out an annual carbon footprint and calculating the quantities of greenhouse gases emitted by all our activities, according to 6 categories:

purchasing,
travel,
energy,
fixed assets,
refrigeration production,
waste.

This allows us to monitor our emissions as closely as possible and to direct our actions to limit them.

Our Results

Our work is bearing fruit and our actions are moving in the right direction, since thanks to numerous efforts, our institute's emissions have been falling since 2019. In 2023, ISAE-SUPAERO emitted 8,925 tCO2e. This is equivalent to driving around the world 1,160 times. This is the average annual carbon footprint of 990 French people. Our target for 2023 was to emit less than 9,200 tCO2e, so we've achieved our goal!

Marie-Hélène Baroux President of ISAE-SUPAERO

Our Purchases

4,910 tCO2e | 55%

The emissions linked to our purchases are mainly due to the extraction of raw materials, the energy spent on manufacturing and transportation.

This item includes all the data for which we do not have quantitative information and for which we therefore use monetary data. In other words, we translate euros spent directly into quantities of CO2e emitted. This method is not very reliable. This item also includes meals. In 2023, 175,000 meals were consumed, emitting 476 kgCO2e.

Our Commitments to Reduce This Item

Systematically ask suppliers to provide an assessment of the GHG emissions associated with their offers.
Rely as much as possible (and always more) on physical data rather than monetary data to obtain more reliable data.
Within each purchasing segment, identify purchases with a high GHG impact, propose actions to reduce this impact and implement them in our purchasing action plan.

Where We Travel

1,665 tCO2e | 19%

All our journeys count and have a major impact on the school’s overall carbon footprint: commuting, business travel, and student travel (home, work experience, etc.).

Our Commitments to Reduce This Impact

Encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation: cycling, carpooling, public transportation, train.
Encourage videoconferencing.
Organise an inter-departmental competition / CO2e emissions per person.
Restrict work placements to Europe.

Our Energy

930 tCO2e | 10%

Around 60% of our energy emissions are linked to heat consumption, around 38% to electricity consumption for servers, IT equipment, scientific equipment, lighting, etc., and 2% to gas consumption by the restaurant.

Between 2019 and 2023, our emissions from heating will fall from 1.6 tCO2e to 0.33 tCO2e. This is due to the fact that we are switching from gas boilers to the district heating network and to the use of waste heat. Since 2022, our school has been connected to the Plaine Campus heating network. This network takes advantage of the heat generated by waste incineration at the Mirail waste recovery plant and by the Espace Clément Ader supercomputer.

Our Commitments to Reduce This Impact

Renovation work: insulation, technical management of the building, relamping, introduction of a system to monitor consumption, heat recovery from the refrigeration units.
Setting up an energy-saving working group to consider and make proposals on:
- modernisation of the campus (generalisation of automated management of heating, lighting and IT equipment),
- the organisation of working hours and use of premises (distribution of days when the campus is closed, impact of teleworking, use of the most energy-intensive equipment (wind tunnels)),
- empowering teams that consume energy by decentralising the “fluids” budget.

The Impact of Transportation on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Transportation currently accounts for almost 30% of France’s greenhouse gas emissions. According to INSEE and SDES, journeys between home and work alone account for almost 17.4 million tonnes of carbon equivalent emitted each year, or around 13% of transportation-related emissions (excluding international air and sea transportation). Of these emissions, 98% are caused by cars.

Our Mobility Diagnostic

At ISAE-SUPAERO in 2023, our home-to-work journeys accounted for almost 5.5% of the establishment’s emissions. It is the 4^th largest source of emissions. This is why it has been essential to act on this lever and reduce the individual use of cars.

At ISAE-SUPAERO, we have commissioned a mobility diagnostic to be carried out in 2022, in order to understand the commuting habits of our students and staff.

Our Figures

Our Institute’s staff is fairly active, with 38% of home-to-work journeys being made by bicycle (along with 37% by car, 12% by public transportation, and 2% by carpooling). These figures reinforce our determination to take action and promote soft mobility on our campus.

Our Soft Alternatives

The first alternative to the individual use of the internal combustion engine car that we can encourage is cycling. As our Institute is located close to the Canal du Midi, it is very easy to get to by bike, scooter, or rollerblade. To encourage the use of bicycles, our school offers a number of facilities (over 500 bicycle parking spaces, repair points, showers, etc.), training in the use of bicycles and road safety by bicycle, etc.

As cycling and transportation are not always the best options for some staff members, in January 2022 our Institute installed 8 charging points for electric cars, each with 2 charging points, enabling 16 electric vehicles to be charged.

Encouraging Sustainable Travel on Our Campus

Our ISAE-SUPAERO campus, located close to the Canal du Midi, offers our staff and students the opportunity to cycle to work or class.

Today, our school has a fairly active cycling population, representing around 20% of staff and students. This figure can be explained by the layout of the campus, which includes a large bicycle parkade as well as numerous direct access points to the Canal du Midi, supporting cycling as a primary mode of transportation for campus-goers.

Allons-Y A Vélo

Our school takes part in the "AYAV" (Allons-Y A vélo) campaign, which offers companies the opportunity to challenge themselves for a week by encouraging as many of their employees as possible to cycle to work.

ISAE-SUPAERO was awarded 1^st Place in 2018.

The AYAV campaign was initiated in 2005 by the Association Vélo Toulouse, and is now organised twice a year, in winter and spring, by Deux Pieds Deux Roues and the Maison du Vélo. The campaign is run via a network of motivated representatives in companies, government departments, schools, and colleges in the Toulouse region.

Learn more

Together with our catering service provider, Elior, we have introduced a number of measures aimed at achieving sustainable catering on our campus:

waste sorting,
regular measurement of food waste,
a vegetarian menu offered every day.

Towards More Carbon-Free Menus

Vegetarian dishes for people who prefer to eat without meat or fish are served daily and are chosen by almost 35% of visitors of the campus catering service. Offering vegetarian options has a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions, given that a vegetarian meal emits almost 14 times less than a meal with red meat.

In 2024, ISAE-SUPAERO and Elior have experimented with an even more assertive approach to decarbonisation with the 'Good & Green' project!

The Ecological Transition at ISAE-SUPAERO

The ecological transition is an important and growing issue on our campus, with the publication of the “Horizons” roadmap, which puts environmental issues at the heart of our school’s commitment. Against this backdrop of growing environmental awareness, our BDE’s environment department has been organising the annual ‘Green Campus Week’ since 2022.

A Week to Raise Awareness

During this week, our students and staff are invited to take part in workshops, conferences, and challenges. The aim of the week is to make participants aware of the ecological emergency and to show that it is possible to have a low-carbon lifestyle without falling into deprivation and frustration.

In 2024

Campus Green Week took place from January 8^th to 12^th. Lectures were held every evening. In particular, lectures by Arthur Keller, a specialist in systemic risks, and Julien Marcinkowski, an alumnus of ISAE-SUPAERO, attracted many participants. The challenges were also very popular with both students and faculty.

In 2025

Campus Green Week took place from January 20^th to 26^th.

Exploring, Sharing, Transforming

Publication Date

24 February 2025

Category

Tag

Horizons

Sustainability

An Overview of Our International Transition Initiatives

On February 7^th and 8^th, ISAE-SUPAERO hosted the 'MEA - More Electric Aircraft' international conference, in collaboration with the 3AF (Association Aéronautique et Astronautique de France) and the SEE (Société de l'électricité, de l'électronique et des technologies de l'information et de la communication).

Some 260 professionals from industry, research, and agencies came together for an exciting event to share ideas, research results, and solutions linked to technological and future developments associated with more/all-electric aircraft. The transition to more electric aircraft, driven by the ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions from civil aviation to zero by 2050, is a growing challenge for industry and society.

For 2 days, the community came together on campus through conferences, two poster sessions, and an exhibition to promote innovations and new technologies for electric aircraft.

Some key figures:

260 visitors.
15 countries represented.
80 companies and universities.
more than 160 manufacturers.

Student Delegation to the Ministry of Ecological Transition

One of the objectives of our Institute is to strengthen the link between the public sphere and its students to help them learn about the institutions and mechanisms of political decision-making.

To this end, a delegation of students attended the roundtable organised by Clément Beaune, Minister Delegate for Transport, at the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion on the fringes of the opening of the Paris Air Show.

The debate on the future of air transportation brought together: Bertrand Piccard for the Solar Impulse Foundation, Augustin de Romanet for the ADP Group, Diane Strauss for Transport et Environnement, and a student from the ISAE Group. Our students were able to express their vision of the future of the sector at the opening of the debates and to exchange views with the Minister following the event.

Morning Debate at ISAE-SUPAERO Initiated by Members of Parliament

In September, as part of the study days on decarbonising aviation, ISAE-SUPAERO opened its campus to the French National Assembly's Aeronautics and Space group for a morning debate.

'Decarbonising Aviation: Who's Got the Energy?' brought together local elected representatives, members of parliament, industrialists, associations, journalists, and students for a series of roundtables at which Marwan Lahoud, Chairman of the ISAE-SUPAERO Board of Directors, and Laurent Joly, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Aviation (ISA), spoke alongside various public and private players.

The event was opened by the group's two co-presidents, Christine Arrighi and Cécile Rilhac, Olivier Lesbre, Director General of ISAE-SUPAERO, and Joseph Risson, a 3rd-year engineering student and winner of the 2023 Lopez-Loreta Foundation prize for his start-up Viraj H₂.

On November 22^nd, 2023, as part of the 40^th anniversary of the Académie de l'Air et de l'Espace, the AAE and ISAE-SUPAERO organised a meeting on the theme of the future of aviation: motorisation and decarbonisation.

Innovation Rendezvous

On September 22^nd, 2022, ISAE-SUPAERO and ENAC organised 'Les Rendez-vous de l'Innovation.' Against a backdrop of urgent climate change, where the issue of air transportation is omnipresent, the two higher education establishments decided to bring together innovation players to discuss a forward-looking theme: 'Thinking and Building the future of Air Transportation Together.'

The public was invited to attend a number of roundtables, conferences, and demonstrations to find out about the changes underway in the air transportation sector and to talk to the major players in the field about how research and innovation are working to support this transformation.

Continuing Education: the First Cap H2 Class Certified

In June 2022, ISAE-SUPAERO, Capgemini Engineering, and EUROSAE launched Cap H2, the first continuing education course in France to lead to certification in hydrogen technologies applicable to aviation.

The Cap H2 course was developed in partnership with Capgemini and EUROSAE, under the teaching responsibility of Yves Gourinat for ISAE-SUPAERO.

Our Institute's objective is to enhance the skills of professionals in the field of aircraft cryotechnical systems. By the end of the course, students learned how to specify an architecture, open up certification avenues, and identify the main technological obstacles. The first class consisted of 72 Capgemini Engineering employees, who received their certificates on June 29^th, 2023.

Given the success of this experiment and the very positive feedback from the first class, ISAE-SUPAERO, Capgemini Engineering, and EUROSAE have decided to open up Cap H2 to all manufacturers in the aeronautics sector for the start of the 2023 academic year.

This is a successful collaboration between three leading players in aeronautics training, who have combined their strengths to create a unique programme.

The Shift Project* and the Supaero Décarbo collective, made up of some twenty engineering graduates from the classes of 2000 and 2001, have published their report on the decarbonisation of the aviation sector called 'Being Able to Fly in 2050: What Kind of Aviation in a Constrained World?'

Based on a scenario-based analysis of aviation emissions trajectories between now and 2050, the study attempts to shed light on the following questions: (1) how can we act today to continue flying tomorrow, in a constrained world? and (2) how can we steer the aviation sector towards trajectories that are compatible with climate issues and less dependent on fossil fuel supplies?

October 2^th, 2020

By being invited to the virtual seminar organised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) named 'CO2 Emissions Reductions in the Aviation Sector' and to the third edition of the Space Forum La Tribune, our Institute, through the intermediary of Marie-Hélène Baroux (then Deputy Director and Head of Sustainable Development) was able to debate and present its research and training in energy transition and Earth observation for climate to decision-makers in the aeronautical and space sectors. An ICAO international seminar aimed at finding solutions for the use of sustainable fuel, at which manufacturers, institutions, and research bodies specialising in the environment took part, allowed attendees to discuss and present their work on the implementation of innovative solutions.

In 2019, our former President, Olivier Lesbre, signed the manifesto issued by The Shift Project. Recent work on teaching climate and energy issues in higher education has revealed a strong desire on the part of the higher education community and students for an organised educational response to climate issues.

More than 80 heads of higher education institutions and 1,000 professors, leading a list of some 7,500 signatories, have launched an appeal to the French government to 'initiate a transition strategy for higher education that positions climate change as the number one emergency.'

Meeting Environmental Challenges

Publication Date

24 February 2025

Category

Tag

Horizons

Sustainability

Development of a Method for Quantifying the Impact of Research Projects on the Environment

In 2024, our DRRP teams at ISAE-SUPAERO developed a method for quantifying the impact of research projects on the environment.

To assess the ambition of our research projects in the transition to a sustainable society, a working group designed a metric that revealed that more than a third (35%) of the research projects conducted at our Institute have a significant impact on the environment.

Our methodology measures all current projects and provides a concrete basis for work, even if it is not yet applicable to all areas of research.

Our tool is available to other interested research laboratories and establishments and takes the form of a questionnaire divided into three themes:

the direct environmental impact of the project,
the environmental issues addressed,
any strategies and solutions implemented to reduce environmental impact.

Find out more

Environmental issues, now essential, are addressed at ISAE-SUPAERO with scientific method and rigor. Our research aims to provide solutions that benefit industry, with an associated metric.

Henry de Plinval Dean of Research and Educational Resources

The Mermoz Challenge: a Pilotless, Zero-Emission Aircraft to Cross the South Atlantic

In January 2023, the first hydrogen gas-powered demonstrator, developed by ISAE-SUPAERO in partnership with H3 DYNAMICS, successfully completed its first radio-controlled flight on the runway of the Muret aeromodelling club.

This marks a major milestone in the development of this future lightweight electric drone, which is fully autonomous and emits no CO2 in flight.

The project was initiated in 2018 by our team of ISAE-SUPAERO researchers led by Professor Jean-Marc Moschetta.

Find out more

The aim of this exploit is to demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of this aircraft, powered electrically by an energy package combining a fuel cell and a photovoltaic panel, capable of flying very long distances and light enough to enter the French certification category for out-of-sight (BVLOS) flights. The next key stage of the project is to develop a version of the drone powered by liquid hydrogen.

Jean-Marc Moschetta Professor

AeroMAPS, a Decision-Making Tool for Air Transportation Transition

What impact should each air transportation transition strategy have?

This is the question our AeroMAPS project sets out to answer. AeroMAPS aims to develop open source tools to explore and assess the sustainability of transition scenarios for air transportation. In particular, the goal is to build an integrated sectoral assessment model that includes technological, environmental, economic, and societal considerations. More concretely, it would make it possible, for example, to assess the impact of transition strategies (hydrogen aircraft, flight quotas, etc.) on CO2 emissions, ticket prices, and usage. Our project is part of the Institute for Sustainable Aviation (ISA) because of its multidisciplinary nature.

Our project currently comprises of two tools:

A Tool to Facilitate Decision-Making and Contribute to Public Debate

In addition to our research and training activities, this project seeks to facilitate decision-making for institutional, industrial, and association decision-makers in the aeronautics ecosystem. More broadly, AeroMAPS is a way for us at ISAE-SUPAERO to contribute to the public debate on the place of aviation in our society.

Learn more

ISA – Institute for Sustainable Aviation

Created in 2021 on the initiative of internationally renowned academic institutions with longstanding academic expertise in the field of aeronautics and air transportation, the ISA is an institute dedicated to the challenges of aviation’s transition to sustainability.

More Than 20 Research Projects

ISA is conducting some 20 research projects on fleet renewal, changes in passenger demand, the adoption of new technologies and pricing, the elasticity of demand, the economic trajectory and life-cycle analysis of sustainable aviation fuel production processes, and the impact of the Air Passenger Transport Tax.

Find out more about ISA

Our High-Impact Projects

On January 20^th, 2020, the IMOTHEP project (Investigation and Maturation of Technologies for Hybrid Electric Propulsion), funded by the European Commission as part of Horizon 2020, was officially launched in Brussels. ISAE-SUPAERO is one of 33 industrial and academic partners in the IMOTHEP consortium led by ONERA, whose aim is to assess the potential of hybrid electric propulsion to reduce emissions from commercial aviation and to build the European technological roadmap for its development. Our researchers from the Aerodynamics, Energy and Propulsion Department (DAEP) will be taking part in this project and will be contributing to the work on aeropropulsion integration, in particular the modelling of thrusters and the design of air inlets for breakthrough configurations.

ISAE-SUPAERO is taking part in HERA (Hybrid Electric Regional Aircraft), one of the European research projects on decarbonising aviation. HERA aims to identify hybrid-electric regional aircraft concepts flying over typical distances of less than 500 kilometres that can meet climate challenges.

The aim is to evaluate the key technologies and architectures in order to offer a range of regional-interurban transport by the 2030s.

ISAE-SUPAERO is involved in studies on the overall optimised design of the aircraft with a particular focus on the integration of high aspect ratio wings and thermal management solutions. This activity will enable the extension of projects already carried out by the aircraft design and flight dynamics team of the Aerospace Vehicle Design and Control Department (DCAS), such as the Clean Sky U-HARWARD project.

Air Conditioning Systems For Future Carbon-Free Aircraft: ISAE-SUPAERO and Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse Join Forces

Adapting transportation to carbon-free energies requires major changes in systems architecture. On aircraft, many sub-systems, such as propulsion units or air conditioning packs, are affected. The turbomachinery that makes up these systems must be adapted: in the electrification process, the operating range required for turbines and compressors must be increased beyond the current state of the art while offering high efficiency. This is the aim of the CASTOR Chair. It is a joint research programme between Liebherr-Aerospace and ISAE-SUPAERO, supported by the ANR. A team of twelve people will lead the scientific programme over a four-year period, divided between the DAEP laboratory and the company.

The primary objective is to help meet the electrification requirements of aircraft air conditioning systems. However, the research carried out will also contribute to the development of more efficient fuel cells or heat recovery cycles. In the long term, it is aimed at the emergence of new turbomachinery system architectures, which could be beneficial in other industrial sectors.

Impact of Climate Change on Aviation (ICCA)

Project Leader: Nicolas Gourdain (DAEP)

Antenne Plasma du DEOS - Bâtiment 7 - ISAE-SUPAERO - Toulouse - 10/02/2022

The objective of the ClimateFly project is to translate the uncertainties over the atmospheric variables impacted by climate change and over the aircraft's engine and aerodynamic characteristics into a quantified estimate of the reduction in the aircraft's maximum authorised load to satisfy the take-off phase.

The ensemble propagation of uncertainties will make it possible to quantify, for example, a number of days of weight restrictions in different regions of the world and for different levels of global warming: 1.5°C and 2°C (target set in the Paris agreements), or 3°C or 4°C for more pessimistic scenarios which must nevertheless be considered in a risk estimation approach.

The advantage of this approach is that it presents a summary result for the different emission scenarios and over the decades up to 2100. This so-called direct strategy will be supplemented by an inverse strategy, which consists of identifying the values and uncertainties of the input variables in order to comply with a constraint on the output variables.

ECoDesigning Tomorrow's Optimal Aerostructures

Project Leader: Joseph Morlier (DMSM)

This cross-disciplinary and collaborative work covers the field of optimal design of materials/structures, but also of processes via lifecycle analysis and the CO2 impact assessment of the process (including type of transportation, place of manufacture, recyclability, etc.) as well as reasoned/optimised high-performance computing.

Construction Of Novel CERTification methOds and means of compliance for disruptive technologies

Project Leader: Joël Jézégou (DCAS)

The CONCERTO project aims to develop draft certification regulations for innovative clean aviation architectures such as SMR, HER, or H2 aircraft, and to experiment with solutions for digitalising the certification process.

ISAE-SUPAERO is heavily involved in steering the risk analysis work package for existing certification regulations and investigating gaps. In addition, the Institute is making a significant contribution to the work packages defining generic concepts for hydrogen-powered aircraft and drafting certification regulations.

Environmentally Responsible Recycling of Ti6Al4V chips From the Aerospace Industry

Project Leader: Kamel Moussaoui (DMSM)

The objectives of the RECoTIA project are to improve the recycling stages for Ti6AI4V chips, to obtain decontaminated aerospace-grade chips, and then to recover the chips for additive manufacturing.

The role of ISAE-SUPAERO:
- additive manufacturing processes,
- mechanical and metallurgical characterisation.

Our Innovative Chairs Focusing on Environmental Issues

For several years now, we have been working closely with the major players in the aeronautics industry to find appropriate responses to current issues in terms of the ecological transition. With the help of the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation, several training and research Chairs have been created to work on new air transportation concepts and propose innovative solutions to reduce ecological impact.

The CEDAR Chair (Chair for Eco-Design of Aircraft)

The CEDAR Chair, launched with AIRBUS in 2013 and renewed in 2019 and 2024, aims to provide a response to the environmental issues facing the aeronautical sector.

The aim of our Chair is to define disruptive concepts for air transportation by introducing innovative technologies right from the aircraft design stage. The main pillar of our Chair incorporates a more global approach to environmental engineering, and are primarily aimed at raising awareness and educating our future aeronautical engineers in sustainable development in the air transportation sector.

The AEGIS Chair (Aero EnGine Innovative Studies)

The AEGIS Chair, developed with SAFRAN since 2016, is based around a research programme on innovative propulsion architecture concepts that will equip the next generations of aircraft.

The aim of this Chair is to reduce the environmental footprint of aircraft propulsion by cutting pollutant and noise emissions.

The ISAAR Chair (Innovation Solutions for CS-23 Aircraft Architecture and Regulation)

The ISAAR Chair, created with DAHER in 2019, aims to conduct research into the design and certification of light aircraft with hybrid-electric propulsion.

Our Chair’s research focuses on three areas:

Reducing the environmental impact of aviation, especially by hybridising on-board energy sources and exploring innovative aircraft architectures and operating modes,
Understanding society’s needs in terms of mobility and formalising and modelling these needs to enable us to design the type of operations and aircraft that can meet them,
Certification of these new architectures, incorporating the new regulatory approach introduced by the aviation safety authorities for CS-23 category aircraft. In particular, this approach will encourage the introduction of innovations in aircraft while guaranteeing the high level of safety required in aviation.

Viraj H2

Co-founded in 2023 by two students, an engineering student from ISAE-SUPAERO and a graduate of Polytech Lille, Viraj H2 is a start-up housed in our ISAE-SUPAEO incubator, InnovSpace.

The company is developing a hybrid powertrain combining a fuel cell and a turbo-prop with heat and steam recovery.

In 2023, Viraj H2 was awarded the Lopez-Loreta Foundation prize of €1 million. This gave us the means to move from a low-power prototype to a structured research and development phase within three partner laboratories.

Find out more

Training for the Future

Publication Date

24 February 2025

Category

Tag

Horizons

Sustainability

1,363

ECTS awarded on subjects related to sustainable development subjects in 2021 within the "Diplôme d'ingénieur ISAE-SUPAERO"

3,000

ECTS projected to be awarded on subjects related to sustainable development in 2026 within the "Diplôme d'ingénieur ISAE-SUPAERO"

Details of Elected Representatives

Our Sustainable Development Courses

Our "Diplôme d'ingénieur ISAE-SUPAERO"

1st year

Core Curriculum

Back to School with a Climate Theme (Climate Fresk): a fun and creative workshop on climate change. The aim is to challenge, raise awareness, and get students to interact in a situation of collective intelligence.

'Transition, Environment and Society' Block (TES): helps students to identify current and future environmental and social challenges, and understand the links between the sciences and the need for a systemic approach to the world. It's an opportunity to develop the critical thinking needed to tackle these issues.

The TES Project: a project that puts students in the shoes of consultants tasked with thinking about technology and its uses in a societal context for technologies in sectors such as AI, energy, the environment, transportation, space, etc.

Current Elective Modules

Aviation and Climate,
Ecodesign,
Energy Transition: The Engineer's Role
Physics of Orders of Magnitude for a World in Transition,
Wind Propulsion.

2nd year

Core Curriculum

Introduction to Environmental Issues: the aim of this course is to help educate engineers who are aware of their role in the ecological transformation of our society to put society on a sustainable path. To achieve this, the course aims to:

provide the factual elements needed to understand the current environmental situation and the mechanisms that have led to it; and
encourage students to take up these issues.

'Transition, Environment, and Society' Block: Following the 1^st year core curriculum, students will be trained in environmental engineering tools and levers for transition in order to be able to identify the relevant tools and levers to become a player in the transition as an engineer.

Current Elective Modules

Circular Economy,
Climate Impact of Aviation: Current Situation and Outlook,
Sustainable Development Goals.

3rd year

Areas of Application

Energy, Transportation, and the Environment

Over the next thirty years, energy demand associated with transportation is set to grow the most. Against this backdrop, there are huge challenges to be met if energy production, consumption, and transportation development are to be brought in line with the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Hybrid and non-conventional technologies are emerging as effective solutions to these challenges, but they have to fit into a sometimes complex economic, regulatory, and social environment. This area of application includes courses on energy, climate, economics, and ecology.

Aircraft Design and Operation

In the Air Transportation System Transition pathway, students focus on assessing the environmental impact of aircraft and the air transportation system. For example, students may estimate the environmental effects of technological solutions (energy carriers, new aircraft and operations, etc.) and non-technological solutions (economic, carbon offsetting, sobriety, etc.) by simulating transition scenarios for air transportation. This makes it possible to estimate the viability of these solutions and quantify their impact on the aviation sector, various stakeholders, and society at large.

Generally Speaking...

Other modules are available to choose from in 1^st and 2^nd year, such as:

Nature, man, ecology,
Life, the living, and living in a time of biological crises,
Environmental ethics.

This course is on the design and analysis of transition scenarios for the air transportation sector.

This course is an introduction to ecodesign: choosing materials with the environment in mind. Faced with current and future ecological and economic issues, directives, and the demands of society, it is necessary to minimize the impact on the environment from the design phase of products, whether it be goods or services.
The aim of this course is, on one hand, to present the issues, the different approaches, and the tools for ecodesign. On the other hand, the course seeks to study sources of energy and identify those that are renewable with their exploitation or transformation.

The aim of this module is to extend our students' know-how to an area of fluid mechanics that is a source of innovation: wind propulsion. This field is currently the focus of developments aimed at performance and/or sustainability. For example, competition sailboats made of a rigid wing and foils fly at the water/air interface. This extremely high-performance mode of travel gives rise to problems of dynamic stability, which are a natural extension of the aeronautical field. These new developments are also being applied to merchant ships with hybrid propulsion to meet the challenge of the increasing scarcity of fossil fuels through wind propulsion.

Since the industrial revolution and the massive exploitation of fossil fuels, the economy has neglected the physical limits of the earth. The depletion of resources and climate change are forcing us to reintegrate these limits to enable the emergence of a sustainable society according to the 17 UN objectives. Engineers have a key role to play in raising awareness of this issue and contributing to the developments needed to change society's trajectory. This course provides the practical tools needed to design the transition to a sustainable world: estimation techniques, physics of orders of magnitude, and critical thinking (reasoning, prototyping, modelling, integrating the limits of models).

This course enables students to acquire a holistic vision of the solutions for reducing the environmental impact of the 3 areas of a circular economy and discover the methods and tools for reducing the impact of the 7 pillars.

Today, we know that industry and engineers in particular have a vital role to play in the energy and environmental transition!

Laurent Michel Head of "Ingénieur ISAE-SUPAERO" programme (MSc)

Our "Diplôme d'ingénieur de spécialité" Industrial Engineering for Aeronautics and Space - by Apprenticeship Programme

1st year

Core curriculum
- Sustainable Development and CSR

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the way in which companies take into account environmental, social and ethical issues in their activities.

2nd year

The Fabric of the Future: Challenges and Issues

The aim of this course is to make students aware of the importance of the challenges facing industrial systems in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. These include the digitisation of the factory, factory flexibility and production configurability, and new logistics and simulation tools. The goal is to design a factory that saves energy and raw materials.

3rd year

Avionics and Embedded Systems option
Energy Systems and Materials option

More generally, the issues of eco-responsibility and energy efficiency in the aerospace sector are addressed in various technical courses throughout the programme via the concepts of eco-design, optimisation, lifecycle analysis, recycling and recyclability of materials, etc.

The Climate Fresk and Collective Intelligence

The tone is set every autumn: our 1^st year students are invited to take part in a fun and creative workshop on the environment. The aim is to find and explain the links between cause and effect in order to build a real 'fresk' of climate change.

Created by Cédric Ringenbach, a passionate engineer who teaches energy-climate issues in higher education, the Climate Fresk is an educational tool that articulates the IPCC's conclusions to provide a better understanding of the components of climate disruption and its systemic dimension.

Learn more

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Our Core Foundations

Our Motto: Excellence With Passion

Our Educational Mission, Our Raison d'Être

Our Values: Initiative, Respect and Responsibility

Our Educational Offerings Tailored to the Challenges of Tomorrow

Cutting-Edge Research

Innovation on the Move

Dynamic Relations with Academia and Industry

A Global International Outlook

An Extensive Network of Alumni: Our Pride and Joy

A Modern Campus in the Heart of Europe's Aerospace Capital

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Our roadmap

Making a Lasting Commitment to New Horizons

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The Ecological Transition is the Major Challenge Facing the Aerospace Industry

ISAE-SUPAERO is Making a Long-Term Commitment Today

Deepening Our Thinking on Transitions

Our Commitment: ‘Horizons’

Our Three Objectives

Our Strong Commitments

Our 'Horizons' Roadmap

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In 2025

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Exploring, Sharing, Transforming