Share this page :

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

Axel Coulon

Student of the TAS ASTRO Advanced Master®

Testimonial Category :

Education

Date :

16 Sep 2024

"My summer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory": what Axel, a student on the Advanced Master® TAS Astro, has to say about it

Axel Coulon has been on placement at NASA’s famous JPL in Los Angeles since May;
He is working there on the detection of helicopter landing sites on Mars;
As a student on the MS TAS Astro course, he talks about the incredible space adventure that has taken him from his native Lorraine to California.

It’s the story of a kid from Lorraine who has always asked himself a lot of questions. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve been in search of meaning,” says Axel Coulon. That’s why I was interested in philosophy and space from a very early age. Four years ago, the American Mars 2020 mission turned this interest into a passion.

This mission to explore the Red Planet, which culminated in the Perseverance rover being sent to Mars, was developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). But back then, in 2020, Axel had no idea that he would be working in this prestigious laboratory as a student at ISAE-SUPAERO. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, he was continuing his higher education at Polytech Nancy, an engineering school near his home.

And he was riveted by the Perseverance odyssey. “I kept asking myself: how could we send a helicopter and a rover to Mars?” The Martian adventure ended up influencing his decision to focus his training on space, and more specifically on space rovers and helicopters.

“I always wanted to do Supaéro. But preparatory classes and Grandes Écoles weren’t common in the environment I grew up in.”

After an academic stay in Montreal to study on-board automation, Axel first landed a placement at ESA’s European Astronaut Center (EAC) in Cologne. It was a dream come true. “I was helping to develop electronic software for the tablets that astronauts use to send data from field training. I had the opportunity to work with European astronauts like Luca Parmitano and to meet Thomas Pesquet on several occasions. I used to think about the village of 1,000 where I grew up and say to myself, this is incredible”.

Once he had his engineering degree, he decided to do a year’s specialisation at ISAE-SUPAERO via the TAS Astro Advanced Masters®. In September 2023, he will be heading for Toulouse to fulfil a new dream: “I’ve always wanted to do Supaéro. But preparatory classes and Grandes Écoles weren’t common in the environment I grew up in.”

On the Toulouse campus, Axel quickly felt like a fish in water. He made friends with other space enthusiasts and joined diving and football clubs. He also immersed himself 100% in his training: “It was an intense and demanding year, but it was great for acquiring a complete knowledge of space engineering! Above all, he was able to talk to alumni who had just returned from their internships at NASA.” That’s when the idea, still crazy a few months earlier, took shape in his mind: “I’m going to do it too.”

” My teachers were very supportive. I realised that when you dare to ask for help, you get it. And that gives you confidence.”

But an internship at JPL was not a foregone conclusion. “Thanks to my teachers, I contacted a number of researchers working in flight robotics, but the replies were slow in coming.”

Without wasting any time, he threw himself into another challenge: finding funding. Several months passed, during which Axel took the risk of turning down a great opportunity for an internship in France. Deep down, he couldn’t stop believing. “My teachers in Toulouse and Nancy were very supportive. I realised that when you dare to ask for help, you get it, and that gives you confidence.” And that gives you confidence. And he was right. His deserving profile and results won him an Espace grant from the Fondation des Ailes de France, a grant from his region (Grand Est) and a grant from the Fondation ISAE-SUPAERO. After four and a half months, he completed his budget by supplementing this funding with a loan from the same Foundation.

Los Angeles is finally in his sights. At the end of April 2024, Axel sets off with the excitement of discovering the laboratory to which he owes his passion. But also the West Coast and the famous American way of life. “When you first discover American life, you’re amazed,” he says. There are house parties, you visit California… Everything seems so big. When you see LA from the window of the plane, you ask yourself: how big is this city? From time to time, however, he is reminded of the Pink City. “There are lots of Sup’ alumni in LA! For the first few weeks, when I’d walk around with my ISAE-SUPAERO T-shirt or cap on, I’d get stopped in the street,” he jokes. I thought: they’re everywhere!

At the JPL alone, he meets up with five other ISAE-SUPAERO students, all from the General Engineering course. “I don’t think we’ve ever been so many at the same time!” The atmosphere is “very international” and the site fills him with wonder: “It’s just as I imagined it would be.” I’m working in the new drone aviary. You can see there’s a lot of equipment and a lot of money.

“There are lots of Sup’ alumni in LA! For the first few weeks, when I went around wearing my ISAE-SUPAERO T-shirt or cap, I’d get stopped in the street. I thought: they’re everywhere!”

His research placement focuses on the detection of landing sites for helicopters on Mars, in line with Mars 2020. However, the corporate culture is different from what he is used to in Europe. Fortunately, Axel has already had the opportunity to work in an American environment, during an academic semester at the French branch of Georgia Tech University in Metz. “In the United States, we don’t see work and management in the same way as in France. Problems are solved like an audit. Everyone also has a lot of freedom to act, which builds confidence. We assume that people know what they’re doing.”

This freedom of initiative is all the greater because he arrived just a few months after a plan to make engineers redundant at JPL. “There was work to be done and I was immediately given the responsibilities of an engineer.”

“In the United States, we don’t see work and management in the same way as in France. Problems are solved like an audit. Everyone also has a lot of freedom to act, which builds confidence. We assume that people know what they’re doing.”

However, he doesn’t see himself staying in the United States after his internship. “As a Frenchman, I think it’s important to come back and work in Europe, on the continent that trained me and gave me so much. After his first love of Mars, he is now looking to the Moon. “With the prospect of future explorations, it’s very exciting!” His new goal? To work at the ESA, at the EAC where I did my traineeship, and where lunar equipment is being developed.

He’s sure to miss the Californian sun when he gets back, just after Halloween. But Axel is also looking forward to seeing his loved ones again. “Here in LA, everyone has their own car and house, and there are very few people in the street. I kind of miss the social atmosphere of France!”

Related Content

View Other Pages

Pages

“Applied Mathematics” (AM) scientific group

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.

DISC

Doctoral student

PhD

Testimonials

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

DMSM

Structures and materials

Teacher researcher

News

Meeting with Joseph Risson, engineering student and winner of a scholarship for his Viraj H2 project

On Friday, 8 December, the Swiss Jean-Jacques and Felicia Lopez-Loreta Foundation for Academic Excellence awarded a prize to Viraj H2, a project developed at ISAE-SUPAERO. Joseph Risson, a third-year engineering student, is studying a hybridisation between a hydrogen turboprop engine and a fuel cell in order to accelerate the decarbonisation of air transport. The €1 million grant will enable Joseph and his partner Paul de Goÿs to validate the technology behind their innovation.

Entrepreneurship

InnovSpace

Startup

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

Testimonials

Testimony of Ernest Chi Tse, alumni class of 2018 of the Advanced Master® ASAA

Advanced Master®

Alumni

Testimonial

Testimonials

Testimony from Mathis Putegnat, student (class of 2025) of the APM Advanced Master's programme

Aerospace

Alumni

Testimonial

Testimonials

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

DCAS

Space

Teacher researcher

Pages

Our semesters & short programs

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Aerospace summer program

News

Meeting with Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez, elected member of the Air and Space Academy

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.

Award

Space

Teacher researcher

Pages

“Navigation, Radar and Remonte Sensing” (NAVIR² eS) scientific group

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.

DEOS

Doctoral student

PhD

Pages

Tuition fees & Fundings for the Advanced Master programmes

All tuition fees & Fundings for the Advanced Master programmes

Advanced Master®

Testimonials

Testimony of Sami Boukezzoula, student in the "Ingénieur généraliste" (MSc) course

Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)

Testimonial

Testimonials

Testimony of Fabien Delcan, student in the "Ingénieur généraliste" (MSc) course

Application

Eligibles

Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)

News

3 questions to... Ervan Kassarian, S-Cube member from 2015 to 2017

Meet Ervan Kassarian, member of S-Cube - SUPAERO Space Section - ISAE-SUPAERO's experimental rocket club, from 2015 to 2017.

Space

Student club

Student life

News

Mars hit by meteorites more often than previously thought

Two researchers from ISAE-SUPAERO contributed to new discoveries based on data from the seismometer sent to Mars during the InSight mission, one of whose main objectives was to measure seismic activity on the Red Planet.

Space

Videos

Testimonials from Alex Dejoie and Sofia Cardola, engineering and master in aerospace engineering students

ISAE-SUPAERO recently welcomed some 40 companies from a wide range of industrial and service sectors to its campus. These companies, represented by alumni and HR managers, were able to share internship and job opportunities with over 500 students in attendance. The event also provided an opportunity for privileged exchanges between students and professionals on current and future challenges and projects. These close encounters were particularly enriching, providing young talent with sound advice and a mutual understanding of needs and expectations! The Enterprise Village is a fantastic opportunity to forge links and develop your professional network, while at the same time widening the field of possibilities. Through this initiative, ISAE-SUPAERO, at the heart of our students' training, has reaffirmed its central role in guiding them towards the professional world. Read the testimonials of Alex Dejoie, a student engineer specializing in astrophysics and space, and Sofia Cardola, a student in the Master in Aerospace Engineering program.

Career

Company

Testimonial

Testimonials

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

Advanced Master®

Aerospace

Space

Pages

“Learning, Decision, Optimization” (ADO) scientific group

DISC

Doctoral student

PhD

Videos

REPLAY of the webinar on the Advanced Master®in Artificial Intelligence and Business Transformation

Discover ISAE-SUPAERO's Advanced Master® program in Artificial Intelligence and Business Transformation. Catherine DUVAL, Head of Business and Professional Development, and Carlos AGUILAR MELCHOR, Professor and Head of the Advanced Master program, answer all your questions!

Advanced Master®

Programme

Pages

French Space Defence Academy

In order to drive and implement the ambitions set out in the Space Defence Strategy, the creation of a space defence expertise sector offering attractive programmes is a major challenge. In this regard, the French Space Defence Academy (ASD) offers programmes available within the Armed Forces Ministry and leverages synergies between them to provide a personalised approach to space programmes.

Defence

Education

Partner

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

Meeting with Christophe Henno (S 1991) Director of Programs for Airbus Atlantic

Meeting with Christophe Henno (S 1991) Director of Programs for Airbus Atlantic

Career

Company

Partner

Videos

Testimony of Pauline Heuze, Recruitment Assistant at Liebherr Aerospace and Transportation

Liebherr develops, manufactures and maintains innovative air systems for the aerospace industry. Sustainable aviation has become a major challenge for the aeronautics industry, requiring close collaboration between companies and ISAE-SUPAERO, particularly through its training courses. At the Village Entreprises, ISAE-SUPAERO was able to talk to our students and present various internship programs, collaborative projects and career opportunities. To develop its innovation policy, Liebherr needs young engineers ready to take up the challenges of sustainable aviation, but also skilled in the fields of sustainable technologies, alternative propulsion systems and resource management.

Career

Company

Partner

Videos

ISAE-SUPAERO and Airbus Defence and Space organize an international training course on space systems

Twenty engineers from the Peruvian space agency CONIDA (Comisión Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Aeroespacial) attended a training course in Toulouse designed jointly by ISAE-SUPAERO and Airbus Defence and Space! The aim? To develop their skills in space systems and space missions. The entire program was placed under the academic responsibility of AnnaFederica Urbano, a lecturer and researcher in space systems and launchers at ISAE-SUPAERO. The engineers took part in a preliminary satellite design project. At the end of the five-week course, they all obtained the Certificate of Advanced Studies awarded by ISAE-SUPAERO. For ISAE-SUPAERO and Airbus Defence and Space, this experience opens up prospects for future collaborations in training courses of this type for international customers and industrial and institutional partners. For more information: https://www.isae-supaero.fr/fr/actualites/airbus-defence-and-space-et-l-isae-supaero-forment-des-membres-de-l-agence/

Programme

Space

Videos

ISAE-SUPAERO and Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology work on student space exploration projects

ISAE-SUPAERO received a visit from Professor Shine S R of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) on December 7 and 8. ISAE-SUPAERO signed a co #cooperation agreement with the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in 2020 and this visit was a perfect opportunity to discuss the deepening of #training and #research collaborations between our two institutions. ISAE-SUPAERO and IIST have already been cooperating for 4 years within the framework of Franco-Indian collaborative academic projects, involving students from ISAE-SUPAERO and IIST on subjects related to space exploration missions and with the participation of experts from CNES, IRAP and the Indian space agency (ISRO)!

Space

News

“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

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

Videos

Testimony of Eric Vicente, Director of Human Resources at Sabina Technics

Eric Vicente tells us about Sabena Technics, a company specializing in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), which was present at the Village Entreprises to meet students from ISAE-SUPAERO, experts in aeronautics and trained in innovation in this field! Their aim is to offer them professional opportunities and internships. These meetings also enable them to strengthen their presence among future engineers, and to propose future partnerships for the Institute's research and development (R&D) projects.

Career

Company

Partner

Testimonials

Testimony of Jeanne Jault, student in the "Ingénieur généraliste" (MSc) course

Application

Eligibles

Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)

Pages

Job offers

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Testimonials

Testimony of Matthieu Guilhem, student in the "Ingénieur généraliste" (MSc) course

Application

Eligibles

Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)

Testimonials

“World Alumni Day”: 3 questions to Shriya Kaur Chawla, alumni class of 2024 of the Master in Aerospace Engineering

Alumni

Master in Aerospace Engineering

Testimonial

Events

"Les Entretiens de Toulouse - Training through debate”: April 9 & 10, 2025 on the ISAE-SUPAERO campus

"Les Entretiens de Toulouse" has become a must-attend event for the aerospace industry. A forum for the exchange and transmission of skills, this training through debate provides an opening onto subjects with high industrial stakes. The 2025 edition of the Entretiens de Toulouse will take place on April 9 & 10, 2025, in person, at ISAE-SUPAERO!

Aeronautics

Artificial intelligence

Defence

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

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

News

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

Aeronautics

Event

Fair

Pages

“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

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

Our certificates of specialized studies

Our certificates of specialized studies are designed for professionals. They enable you to develop skills and expertise in the fields of digital, aeronautics, space, project management, systems engineering and artificial intelligence.

Advanced Master®

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Pages

Paying Apprenticeship Tax

Are you a company, an organisation or a structure subject to corporation tax? By directing all or part of your apprenticeship tax to ISAE-SUPAERO, you will be playing an essential role in our mission to offer a complete and unique range of very high-level scientific training in the field of aerospace engineering and to participate in the transformation of aviation & its decarbonisation for a sustainable future! By choosing ISAE-SUPAERO as your beneficiary, you are encouraging the success of tomorrow's talent!

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Apprenticeship tax

Pages

Validation of prior experience

The validation of prior experience is an individual right enshrined in the French Labor Code and Education Code. It enables candidates to obtain all - or part - of a professional certification (Diploma, Professional Title, Certificate of Professional Qualification), based on their professional, salaried or non-salaried and/or voluntary experience. This scheme can be used if the candidate is seeking personal recognition, or more generally to support a professional project that he or she wishes to put into practice.

Advanced Master®

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Testimonials

Testimony from Valentin Balayn, 2015 graduate of the TAS AERO FTE Advanced Master®

Advanced Master®

Aeronautics

Alumni

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

Pages

Lasbordes Air Operations Center (COAL)

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

DCAS

Doctoral student

PhD

Pages

“Connected Systems” (SysCo) scientific group

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.

DISC

Doctoral student

PhD

Videos

Training courses: space studies

Find out more about our courses and #information in the field of space! The space dimension is strongly developed within our various training courses, whether in specific streams or dedicated programs. French and international students alike are showing a keen interest in our educational programs in Earth observation and the sciences of the Universe, as well as in the design and operation of space systems. Space research and industry employ many ISAE-SUPAERO engineers. Explore the world of space!

Programme

Space

Videos

The Advanced Master® SPAPS - APS 2: Satellite Telecommunication Networks

ISAE-SUPAERO's Advanced Master® in Space Applications and Services (SPAPS) is designed jointly with Airbus Defense and Space. It enables students to acquire the skills needed to master and develop space applications for monitoring the Earth's environment and for telecommunications, which today play a key role in sustainable development. Find out more about the skills acquired, the fields of application and the job opportunities offered by this advanced Master's program, presented by Heloïse Scheer, Head of the Airbus Space Academy at Airbus Defence and Space, and Raphael Garcia, Program Manager at ISAE-SUPAERO. Contact: info-programmes@isae-supaero.fr

Advanced Master®

Programme

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

News

Valentin LELOUP, quantum and optical telecommunications systems engineer: the quantum and space tandem

Valentin Leloup, R&D engineer at Thales, combines two fields of expertise: quantum physics and space. He holds an engineering degree from ISAE-SUPAERO 2022 and a Master 2 in fundamental physics and applications.

Alumni

News

Research

Testimonials

Testimony of Jorys Collard Casanova, student (class of 2025) of the TAS AERO FTE Advanced Master®

Advanced Master®

Testimonial

Pages

Our Advanced Master programs

Advanced Master

Advanced Master®

Testimonials

Testimonial from Harshavardhan Narakatla, student (class of 2025) of the AMS E&M Advanced Master®

Aerospace

Alumni

Testimonial

Pages

Our short modules

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

Advanced Master®

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Events

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

ISAE-SUPAERO will be present at the 55ᵉ Salon International de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace at Le Bourget from June 16 to 22, 2025!

Aeronautics

Aerospace

Event

News

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

Testimonials

Testimony from Nathanaël Lecompte, 2021 alumni of the ISAE-SUPAERO engineering programme

Alumni

Sustainability

Testimonial

Testimonials

Testimony from Alice Fabre, 2021 graduate of the TAS AERO Advanced Master

Aeronautics

Alumni

Decarbonization

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

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

France Alumni Day: 3 questions for Gabrielle Decroix, ISAE-SUPAERO 2022 alumna of the Advanced Master® in Systems Engineering

Meet Gabrielle Decroix, 2022 alumna, now a Model-Based Systems Engineering consultant at Capgemini.

Alumni

Testimonial

Testimonials

Testimony of Clémentine Lelarge, student in the "Ingénieur généraliste" (MSc) course

Education

Eligibles

Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)

Testimonials

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

Alumni

Space

Testimonial

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

News

Hera probe captures exceptional images of Mars and its moon Deimos

DEOS

Researcher

Science

Testimonials

Testimony from Rémi Caresche, student (class of 2025) of the TAS ASTRO Advanced Master®

Aerospace

Alumni

Testimonial

Videos

Pierre-Eric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group: European leader in naval defense and partner of ISAE-SUPAERO

Discover the interview with Pierre-Eric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group and ISAE-SUPAERO alumnus, who talks about cooperation between schools and companies.

Career

Company

Partner

Pages

Brochures

« Ingénieur ISAE-SUPAERO » by apprenticeship

Advanced Master®

Brochure

Testimonials

“World Alumni Day”: 3 questions to Sebastien Eskenazi, 2009 alumnus of the ENSICA engineering double degree / mechanical engineering master’s degree

Alumni

Testimonial

Pages

“Space Systems for Planetology and Applications” (SSPA) scientific group

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.

DEOS

Doctoral student

PhD

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 of Lucie Goethals, student in the "Ingénieur généraliste" (MSc) course

Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)

Testimonial

Testimonials

Testimony of Jonathan Andrieu, student (class of 2025) of the AIBT Advanced Master®

Advanced Master®

Testimonial

Testimonials

Testimonial of Elisa Baumgarten, Advanced Master® AES student (class of 2025)

Advanced Master®

Testimonial

News

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

Aerospace

Master in Aerospace Engineering

Scholarship

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

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

DART: ISAE-SUPAERO students publish new scientific findings in Nature Communications

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

DEOS

Space

Videos

Advanced Master® SPAPS - APS 1: Earth Observation

This Advanced Master Space Applications and Services (MS SPAPS) gives you the skills you need to master and develop space applications for monitoring the earth's environment and telecommunications, which play a key role in sustainable development today. Find out more about the skills acquired, the fields of application and the job opportunities offered by this advanced Master's program, presented by Heloïse Scheer, Head of the Airbus Space Academy at Airbus Defence and Space, and Raphael Garcia, Program Manager at ISAE-SUPAERO. Contact: info-masters@isae-supaero.fr

Advanced Master®

Programme

Testimonials

“World Alumni Day”: 3 questions to Giuseppe Cataldo, 2010 alumni of the ISAE-SUPAERO general engineering course

Alumni

Testimonial

Pages

Testimonials

« Ingénieur ISAE-SUPAERO » by apprenticeship

Advanced Master®

Alumni

Testimonials

Testimony from Lisa Wong, 2024 graduate of the TAS ASTRO Advanced Master® programme, SEEDS option

Aerospace

Alumni

Testimonial

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

Events

Les Assises du New Space 2025: discussions and debates on NewSpace!

The 2025 edition of the Assises du New Space will be held this year on July 8-9, 2025 at the Centre des congrès de la Villette - Cité des sciences et de l'industrie in Paris. Aimed at all players in the French space ecosystem, this event is a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and debate around NewSpace, and to discover the latest technological innovations and project financing opportunities. Registration is now open!

Conference

Event

Round table

Pages

“Integrated Image Sensors” (CIMI) scientific group

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.

DEOS

Doctoral student

PhD

News

Meeting with Edoardo Mariani Placidi, student of the HADA Advanced Master's programme

A motorsport lover, Edoardo Mariani Placidi started his career in the automotive industry in R&D, V&V, quality, manufacturing, and metallurgy.

Testimonial

News

Training new skills for the future of space: COMETES is launched!

Company

Job

Space

News

Les Assises du New Space: update of the “Ambition NewSpace 2027” report

In 2022, the Assises du NewSpace collective - a group of players representing the French space industry - published the report “Ambition NewSpace 2027”. Today, the collective is launching another major national consultation to update this report and shape the future of French space!

Conference

Round table

Space

Testimonials

Testimony of Giuseppe Cataldo, alumnus of the 2010 Engineer ISAE-SUPAERO (MSc) program

Alumni

Space

Testimonial

Videos

Perseverance collects first Martian sounds: explanation by Dr. Naomi Murdoch & Dr. Alexander Stott

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.

DEOS

Researcher

Space

News

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

Aeronautics

Chair

Partnership

Pages

“Design and Analysis of Critical Systems” (CASC) scientific group

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

DISC

Doctoral student

PhD

News

MMX, Idefix® and cameras to understand Mars' moon

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.

DEOS

Researcher

Space

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

Pages

“Photonics Antenna Microwave PlasmaA” (PAMPA) scientific group

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.

DEOS

Doctoral student

PhD

Testimonials

Joint testimony from Samuel Falcou, general engineering student at ISAE-SUPAERO, and Tristan Ducéré, high school student at Toulouse-Lautrec

Meet Samuel Falcou, a 20-year-old engineering student in his second year (class of 2024) of the ISAE-SUPAERO general engineering programme, and Tristan Ducéré, a 17-year-old high school student in his final year at Toulouse-Lautrec High School.

Diversity program

Equal opportunities

Testimonial

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

News

"Défi Aérospatial Étudiant 2025": Dassault Aviation Prize awarded to an ISAE-SUPAERO student team

As part of the integrated team project of the Institute's TAS ASTRO master's program, a team of student engineers developed the OSIRIS space shuttle, taking part in the Student Aerospace Challenge, an international competition. The team was awarded the Dassault Aviation Prize for the technical quality of its project.

Advanced Master®

Aeronautics

Prize

News

Our alumni have their say: Meeting with Nathanaël Lecompte (S2021)

Nathanaël is a recent graduate of ISAE-SUPAERO with a degree in engineering. Of all the opportunities available to him, he chose to pursue a career in renewable energy. He explains his motivations and his career path!

Sustainability

Testimonial

News

Researchers from ISAE-SUPAERO contributed to the success of the first images from ESA's Sentinel 2c observation satellite.

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

DEOS

Space

Pages

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

Testimonials

Testimony of Matthieu LP, student (class of 2025) of the IEM Advanced Master®

Aerospace

Alumni

Testimonial

Videos

Testimony of Joseph Risson, ingénieur 2024 alumni & co-founder of Viraj H2 From student to entrepreneur: that's the path Joseph Risson, a 2024 graduate, has taken at ISAE-SUPAERO!

Co-founder of the startup Viraj H2, created during his 3ᵉ year of engineering studies, Joseph Risson wants to contribute his expertise to the decarbonization of air travel by exploring a new hydrogen propulsion architecture! Joseph and his partner, Paul de Goÿs, were awarded the €1 million Lopez-Loreta Foundation prize in 2023 to continue their research into this innovative propulsion method, and now benefit from the support and expertise of InnovSpace, the school's official incubator, where the startup is currently housed. Like all our alumni, he plays an essential role in creating lasting links between the institution and its former students. They encourage mutual support and the sharing of professional opportunities, help strengthen the community and support future generations with their experience and resources.

Alumni

Career

Company

Videos

Arnaud Prost, ESA reserve astronaut and ISAE-SUPAERO alumnus: “I was incredibly lucky to be here”

Fighter pilot and reserve astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA), Arnaud Prost returned to his former school on Thursday March 28 to meet 200 secondary school students as part of the ISAE SUPAERO OSE program. It was an opportunity for him to recall the “great memories” of his student experience at ISAE-SUPAERO, his long-standing commitment to the student social outreach program and the “Aquanauts” scheme he set up with OSE l'ISAE-SUPAERO. And in passing, he offers a few words of advice to young people who might dream of following in his footsteps: “Don't let yourself be convinced that one of these paths isn't for you!” A 2017 graduate of ISAE-SUPAERO, Arnaud Prost is among those selected for the ESA Astronaut Class of 2022, alongside Sophie Adenot and Anthea Comellini, both also alumni of the school. They join other illustrious ESA astronauts who have already studied at the school: Thomas Pesquet, Luca Parmitano and Samantha Cristoforetti. Since 1970, ISAE-SUPAERO has contributed to the progress of the space age through its training, research and innovation activities. As the only organization in France to offer degree courses (engineering, master's, specialized master's, doctorate) covering all 22 space-related themes identified by CNES, the Institute offers a royal road to space careers. For Arnaud Prost's full profile: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/A

Alumni

Diversity program

Space

Videos

Testimony of Florian Bonte, S2010 ISAE-SUPAERO alumni: creating opportunities through networking

Creating opportunities through networking: a testimonial from Florian Bonte, S2010 ISAE-SUPAERO alumnus! He tells us about our partnership, and the importance of networking and passing on information, as an alumnus of the school, and Sales Manager at Groupe SII, one of the school's partner companies. Our partner companies recently took part in the Village Entreprises, an event held on the ISAE-SUPAERO campus. This not-to-be-missed annual event enables our students to meet, exchange ideas and make contacts with our partner companies! Thanks to the many training options offered by the Institute, and the diversity of their first professional experiences and nationalities, the professional profiles of our students are perfectly adapted to the needs of companies. For our students, it's a unique opportunity to exchange ideas with professionals to identify internship and job opportunities, to refine their project, or to find ideas to bring their projects to fruition.

Alumni

Career

Company

News

Capturing the seismic activity of an asteroid: our Apophis rendezvous

DEOS

Research

Space

Testimonials

Testimony of Yannick Lepage, student (class of 2025) of the AMS E&M Advanced Master®

Advanced Master®

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

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

“Theory, Modeling 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

News

CASTOR Chair: Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse and ISAE-SUPAERO, a win-win partnership

The official signing of the industrial chair, called CASTOR, between Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse and ISAE-SUPAERO took place on Tuesday 9 July at the institute's campus. This research partnership contributes to research into carbon-free aircraft.

Aeronautics

Chair

Company