Research

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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.

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

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The scientific dynamic of the “Connected Systems” (SysCo) scientific group focuses primarily on network-related issues in aerospace applications, i.e. space communications, embedded networks and certain types of connected systems.

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Six researchers from ISAE-SUPAERO, EPFL and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have been awarded the AIAA Best Scientific Paper Award for their paper “DeepGeo: Deep Geometric Mapping for Automated and Effective Parameterization in Aerodynamic Shape Optimization”.

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

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ISAE-SUPAERO - as a center for training through research, research training and innovation - has a wide range of research equipment used within its 6 research departments. Today, we present the DMSM's mechanical materials characterization platform! ISAE-SUPAERO's Department of Structural Mechanics and Materials (DMSM) has a number of conventional test facilities on the Institute's campus, enabling it to carry out a wide range of mechanical characterization tests on structural materials, under both quasi-static and fatigue loads. A wide range of instrumentation - video bi-extensometer, stereo image correlation, thermal camera, high-speed camera, etc. - is used to enhance the measurements taken during tests. These test facilities are used as part of ISAE-SUPAERO's various training courses, as well as for the research activities of the Department's teacher-researchers.

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

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The Mechanics of Structures and Materials Department is responsible for organizing and supervising all teaching activities in deformable solid mechanics for ISAE-SUPAERO training courses, in synergy with upstream and applied research activities on aeronautical materials and structures. This strong interaction between teaching and research is the foundation of our department's organization.

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

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Stanford University recently published an updated list of the world's most influential scientists, which includes eight ISAE-Supaero faculty members.

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

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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.

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In 2021, ISAE-SUPAERO researchers Scott Delbecq, Jérôme Fontane, Nicolas Gourdain, Florian Simatos and Thomas Planès published the ‘Aviation and Climate’ report, summarising international scientific publications in order to provide the scientific information needed to understand the challenges of decarbonising air transport.

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

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ISAE-SUPAERO - as a center for training through #research, research training and innovation - has a wealth of research equipment used within its 6 research departments. Today, we present the #P68! Since 2018, ISAE-SUPAERO's flight operations center has been equipped with a twin-engine Vulcanair P68 Observer 2 to teach ISAE-SUPAERO students flight mechanics, flight test techniques and how to carry out research projects. The aircraft is equipped with a telemetry system, enabling flight parameters to be monitored in real time from the campus classrooms. A versatile aircraft with a large payload, it can carry a variety of sensors via a hatch under the fuselage. It also features unique instrumentation for research activities and sensors for pilot monitoring (remote eye trackers, scene cameras, etc.) synchronized with flight parameters. It enables us to estimate pilots' attentional and cognitive states (fatigue, distraction, inattention, engagement, etc.) in real time during flight.

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The Design and Operation of Aeronautical and Space Vehicles Department (DCAS) is part of the Lasbordes Air Operations Center (COAL), located on an airfield a few kilometers from the ISAE-SUPAERO campus. As part of its aeronautical training and research activities, COAL operates a fleet of 9 light aircraft.

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Krishna Murali and Elena Ponce Moreno are second-year students in the Master of Aerospace Engineering programme at ISAE-SUPAERO. They are conducting research on the Mavion, a drone developed at the Institute that takes off vertically and can then fly like an aeroplane.

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Around 350 international students take French courses organized by the institute. These courses are aimed at students in the “Ingénieur ISAE-SUPAERO” program and in the Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering program. They are also open to doctoral students and interns from the institute's various departments. The aim of these courses is to facilitate students' social, cultural and academic integration.

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Noémie Martin, an ISAE-SUPAERO (ENSICA) engineer who graduated in 2018, was awarded a prize by the Lopez-Loreta Foundation in November 2024 for her project FASTE: Fabrication Additive des Structures performantes multi maTériaux pour utilisation en Environnement sévère.

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

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

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

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• The ICCAS international conference will be held on 16 and 17 May on the ISAE-SUPAERO campus. • It brings together world-renowned scientists working on cognitive airborne systems, the virtual assistants that will help pilots in the cockpits of the future. • The Institute has been involved in the development of these research topics for many years.

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The “Design and Analysis of Critical Systems” (CASC) scientific group focuses on methods, processes and tools to support System Engineering and Systems Engineering.

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

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

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

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From February 24 to 26, forty-five students will explore three topical issues involving Artificial Intelligence (AI) during a three-day hackathon. The student teams involved will attempt to meet the challenges posed by three industrial partners on the themes of the environment, industrialization and digitization technology. ISAE-SUPAERO confirms its commitment to training in data science and artificial intelligence through its Decision and Data Sciences (DDS) course.

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

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To strengthen the links between industry and research, more than 10 industrial R&D engineers have been made available to ISAE-SUPAERO as part of the France Relance plan! Cyril Geneste, research engineer at Latecoere, is one of them. Together with Miguel Charlotte, Associate Professor at the Institute, he looks back on this fruitful two-year collaboration. Their work, carried out in the ISAE-SUPAERO laboratories, focused on the behavior of aircraft door seals, which ensure cabin airtightness. Thanks to the Institute's cutting-edge equipment and academic expertise, Cyril Geneste was able in particular to carry out numerical modeling of seals in order to test their behavior. Students in their 3rdᵉ year of engineering studies were also involved in this work.

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

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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.

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

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

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

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The “Applied Mathematics” (AM) scientific group covers a wide range of topics: stochastic processes (especially Markov processes), numerical optimization (especially multidisciplinary optimization) and parallel computing, stabilization, control and numerical solution of partial differential equations, and financial engineering.

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Researchers at ISAE-SUPAERO have been studying cognitive airborne systems, the virtual assistants that will help pilots in the cockpits of the future, for many years.

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Paolo has completed his thesis in the Complex Systems Engineering Department (DISC). His thesis is entitled: Navigation based on autonomous vision and shape reconstruction of an unknown asteroid during the approach phase. It is attached to the AA - Aéronautique Astronautique doctoral school. ISAE-SUPAERO hosts its doctoral students in six teams at ISAE-SUPAERO, ONERA and the Clément Ader Institute, covering a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines related to aeronautics and space: aerodynamics and propulsion, structures and materials, embedded systems, networks and telecommunications, systems control and operation, human factors, electronics and signals. ISAE-SUPAERO offers a rich and diversified doctoral training program, leading to the doctorate, the highest level diploma awarded by the institute, and recognized internationally. Link to his thesis: http://www.theses.fr/s253653

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The AeroMAPS tool, developed by two ISAE-SUPAERO researchers, Scott Delbecq and Thomas Planès, can be used to assess the environmental impacts of air transport and the effectiveness or limitations of levers to decarbonize the sector! Initially designed for research and training purposes, the tool is now a multidisciplinary, open-source platform, accessible to experts as well as institutional, industrial and associative decision-makers. Its development has been integrated into the work of the Institute for Sustainable Aviation (ISA), an interdisciplinary research institute headed by Laurent Joly, whose aim is to address the issue of #aviation's ecological transition in all its complexity. By playing on the sector's transition levers, AeroMAPS users can define the scenarios whose impacts they wish to analyze. For example, the introduction of new aircraft types, the use of new fuels or the rate of growth in air traffic. AeroMAPS is the first air transport scenario exploration platform built on an open-source scientific methodology. It was initially designed and developed to enable researchers to explore air transport transition scenarios in detail. It was then rapidly integrated into training programs: first in the ISAE-SUPAERO engineering curriculum, then in continuing education programs. To facilitate use of the tool, a partnership was formed with Sopra Steria. This major tech player built the platform's new web interface to enhance the user experience and make it accessible to decision-makers. Research work recently took on a socio-economic dimension with a PhD prepared by Antoine Salgas, in partnership with TBS Education. Antoine Salgas has also created a traffic and emissions inventory in collaboration with the Dutch Delft University of Technology. These two aspects of his thesis gave rise to an AeroMAPS “satellite” tool, called AeroSCOPE, which enables analyses to be partitioned and regionalized. Today, the comprehensive, multi-disciplinary aspect of AeroMAPS is a decision-making aid for the entire #aeronautics ecosystem. Through its scientific expertise, ISAE-SUPAERO contributes to the debate and to the future of aviation.

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

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The Clément Ader Institute (UMR CNRS 5312) is the solid mechanics research laboratory for Toulouse and its region, under the aegis of the CNRS. It brings together research teams from four institutions and three ministries: the University of Toulouse III Paul Sabatier (National Education), INSA (National Education), ISAE-SUPAERO (Defense), and the École des Mines d'Albi (Industry). These institutions are located in three cities in Midi-Pyrénées: Toulouse, Albi, and Tarbes.

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The subsonic wind tunnels at ISAE-SUPAERO are used to study airflow over objects such as aircraft wing profiles. This equipment, supervised by a technical team, is used by both students and researchers in the Aerodynamics, Energy and Propulsion Department (DAEP).

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

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

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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.

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At ISAE-SUPAERO, Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez heads SaCLaB, a research laboratory focusing on future space systems. A professor of space systems engineering, she has just been elected to the French Air and Space Academy.

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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.

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Anthéa completed her thesis in the Complex Systems Engineering Department (DISC). Her thesis is entitled “Vision-based autonomous rendezvous with non-cooperative targets”. Anthéa is attached to the AA - Aéronautique Astronautique doctoral school. Her thesis, carried out in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space, is part of the CIFRE* program ISAE-SUPAERO hosts its doctoral students in six teams at ISAE-SUPAERO, ONERA and the Clément Ader Institute, covering a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines related to aeronautics and space: aerodynamics and propulsion, structures and materials, onboard systems, networks and telecommunications, systems control and operation, human factors, electronics, signals. ISAE-SUPAERO offers a rich and diversified doctoral training program, leading to the doctorate, the highest level diploma awarded by the institute, and recognized internationally. *Since 1981, the CIFRE scheme - Conventions Industrielles de Formation par la REcherche (Industrial Conventions for Training through Research) - has enabled companies to benefit from financial assistance to recruit a young doctoral student whose research, supervised by a public research laboratory, will lead to the completion of a thesis in three years. CIFREs are fully funded by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, which has entrusted ANRT (Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie) with their implementation.

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Nicolas Binder is a professor and head of the Turbomachinery and Propulsion research group at ISAE-SUPAERO. He leads the IPROP project (Ionic Propulsion In Atmosphere) for the Institute, in collaboration with European academic partners.

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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.

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

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ISAE-SUPAERO continues to contribute to the open science movement and has created a new open archive platform called OPEN SCIENCE ISAE-SUPAERO. It provides everyone with access to our theses, publications, scientific instruments and technological platforms.

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Our Institute operates at the heart of a leading academic, scientific, and technological ecosystem. Driven by the strength of the ISAE-SUPAERO ENSICA Alumni Association network, supported by the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation, and enriched by EUROSAE's expertise in continuing education, our actions are part of a collective dynamic within the University of Toulouse and the ISAE Group. Committed to the major challenges of tomorrow, we are developing major initiatives within the Institute for Sustainable Aviation for sustainable aviation and the Defense Space Academy to meet the strategic challenges of space.

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The AeroMAPS tool, developed by researchers at ISAE-SUPAERO, makes it possible to assess the environmental impacts of air transport and the effectiveness or limitations of levers for decarbonising the sector.

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At the Languages, Arts, Cultures, and Societies Department (LACS), we teach languages, interculturality, geopolitics, general culture, economics, sports, etc. Multidimensional skills that bring out knowledge, interpersonal skills, know-how and interpersonal skills.

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

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ISAE-SUPAERO and Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse strengthened their collaboration on January the first through an industrial chair. The objective is to develop and improve methods and tools for the aerodynamic design of turbomachine wheels, contributing to research on carbon-free aircraft.

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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.

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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”!

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ISAE-SUPAERO has once again been awarded the "Bienvenue en France" label with a three-star rating (the highest possible). This label, awarded by Campus France, recognises the quality of the welcome given to international students.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.