Alumni
13 Apr 2022
Meeting with our alumni Giuseppe Cataldo (S2010 ), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Giuseppe Cataldo, who graduated from the engineering programme in 2010, is Head of Back Planetary Protection for the ERO-CCRS mission in the Mars Sample Return programme, and Chief Engineer for NASA’s EXCLAIM mission.
He talks to us about his academic and professional career.
You have a very cosmopolitan background. Could you tell us what motivated your choices?
I was born and raised in southern Italy, in a small town by the sea. I started my studies in aerospace engineering at the Politecnico di Milano before applying for a double-diploma programme in Europe. Although there were several options in terms of destination, I chose France and ISAE-SUPAERO because I had never lived abroad and I wanted to experience a new culture and learn a new language.
Therefore, studying at an English-speaking university was not my first choice, and ISAE-SUPAERO offered all courses in French. In addition, the school was already the best in France and one of the best in Europe for aerospace engineering. It also offered a lot of connections with companies, which was bound to make it easier to enter the world of work. Finally, everything was confirmed when I arrived and stayed there, and I couldn’t have been happier!
The United States, however, was not in my initial plans. I simply seized an opportunity that led me to move to the other side of the Atlantic to fulfil one of my dreams, and I owe this to ISAE-SUPAERO.
You've been working at NASA for 12 years, how did you get this job?
It all started at ISAE-SUPAERO in 2008. I was in my second year when I received an email from the Career Center inviting all European students to apply for the NASA Academy, NASA’s student excellence programme. ESA was offering two positions and CNES one. I had always dreamed of working in space, and in particular for agencies like NASA and ESA. This application was a unique opportunity to at least take the first step towards that goal. I knew the competition was tough, but I had to give it a go. So I sent my application to the ESA, but I didn’t expect that a few weeks later I would be selected for interviews and then definitively as one of the two Europeans who would be leaving for Washington in the summer of 2009. It was a dream come true!
The NASA Academy transformed me.
I did research in the field of infrared astrophysics and thanks to this experience I returned to NASA the following year for my final year project, after which I got a job there. I then went on to do a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in collaboration with NASA, which enabled me to work on one of the most formidable projects in history, the James Webb telescope.
What are your current missions? Can you tell us about the James Webb Telescope?
I’m currently Head of Back Planetary Protection for the ERO-CCRS mission in the Mars Sample Return programme, which aims to return samples of the Martian soil and atmosphere to Earth. My job is to design and build all the mechanisms and procedures to ensure that the capsule and sample container do not break during atmospheric re-entry and landing, to prevent potentially biological particles from being dispersed and contaminating our planet.
I am also the chief engineer for the EXCLAIM mission, an infrared telescope that will be launched into the stratosphere in 2023, and for the infrared camera for the PRIME telescope, which is being built in South Africa and will be operational by the end of the year. Between 2014 and 2020 I had the honour of working on the James Webb telescope, which was finally launched in December 2021. James Webb is the largest and most powerful space telescope ever built. For this project, I developed an innovative method for validating the mathematical models used to assess the telescope’s performance during the integration and testing phase. I also contributed to the testing of the thermal system, which enabled me to work on the hardware. It was a unique experience that taught me a lot about teamwork in a large-scale project. It also allowed me to develop things for the first time or to solve problems that nobody had ever had before. It took a lot of creativity and initiative!
Traditionally, we ask our alumni if they have any advice to give our students. Do you have a message for them?
My main advice is to be curious and proactive, in other words, always exploring to find the answers to your questions. Be active in shaping your career path by looking for opportunities to grow in your academic and professional training, through internships, courses, extra-curricular activities, etc. The university years are the best time to broaden your knowledge and develop the skills that will help you in the world of work.
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Teacher researcher
Testimonials
Testimony of Jonathan Andrieu, student (class of 2025) of the AIBT Advanced Master®Advanced Master®
Testimonial
Pages
“Theory, Modeling and Systems Engineering” (ThéMIS) scientific groupThe “Theory, Modeling and Systems Engineering” (ThéMIS) scientific group is dedicated to the study and development of advanced methods for the design, modeling and validation of complex systems.
DISC
Doctoral student
PhD
News
Ariane 6: at ISAE-SUPAERO, researchers are already working on the futureThe European Ariane 6 launcher incorporates major technological innovations such as the Vinci engine, capable of reigniting in space. At ISAE-SUPAERO, researchers are tackling the challenges posed by the rocket engines of tomorrow.
Space
Testimonials
"World Alumni Day": Three questions for Aude Vignelles, 1991 graduate of ENSICA's Aeronautical Engineering programmeAeronautics
Alumni
Testimonial
Testimonials
Testimony from Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez, elected member of the Air and Space AcademyDCAS
Space
Teacher researcher
Pages
Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory - Airbus DS & ArianeGroupCreated in 2017 and renewed until 2027, this sponsorship partnership brings together Airbus Defense & Space and Ariane Group.
Aerospace
Chair
Company
Pages
Support for the Development of the ISAE Group - GIFASGIFAS (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 Ernest Chi Tse, alumni class of 2018 of the Advanced Master® ASAAAdvanced Master®
Alumni
Testimonial
News
France Alumni Day: 3 questions for Marion Burnichon, ISAE-SUPAERO 2021 alumna of the Master's in Aerospace Engineering programmeMeet Marion Burnichon, 2021 alumna, now a Young Graduate Trainee in Gateway Operations.
Alumni
Master in Aerospace Engineering
Portrait
News
Meteorite impact reveals new insights into MarsIn September 2021, NASA's InSight mission recorded a meteorite impact. Analysis of the data by scientists has revolutionised our understanding of the internal structure of Mars and its evolution. Its mantle is not homogeneous, as previously assumed, but composed of a layer of molten silicates overlying the core. Press release from the IPGP - Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris: ‘The InSight mission reveals a molten layer at the base of the Martian mantle’.
DEOS
Space
News
3 questions to... Marie-Bertille Mosnier, S-Cube member from 2018 to 2022Meet Marie-Bertille Mosnier, member of the S-Cube - SUPAERO Space Section - ISAE-SUPAERO's experimental rocket club, from 2018 to 2022.
Space
Student club
Student life
Testimonials
“World Alumni Day”: 3 questions to Sebastien Eskenazi, 2009 alumnus of the ENSICA engineering double degree / mechanical engineering master’s degreeAlumni
Testimonial
News
Meeting with Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez, elected member of the Air and Space AcademyAt ISAE-SUPAERO, Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez heads SaCLaB, a research laboratory focusing on future space systems. A professor of space systems engineering, she has just been elected to the French Air and Space Academy.
Award
Space
Teacher researcher
Testimonials
Testimony of Jeanne Jault, student in the "Ingénieur généraliste" (MSc) courseApplication
Eligibles
Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)
Testimonials
Joint testimony from Samuel Falcou, general engineering student at ISAE-SUPAERO, and Tristan Ducéré, high school student at Toulouse-LautrecMeet 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
Videos
The Dart mission has hit its target: explanations from Dr Naomi Murdoch, planetary scientist at ISAE-SUPAEROResearchers 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
News
Listening to the Martian past: ISAE-SUPAERO at the heart of the ExoMars missionESA's ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission to explore Mars will carry a unique instrument for recording sound and atmospheric data from the planet. The Institute has been selected by ESA and CNES for this major scientific collaboration.
DEOS
Researcher
Science
Videos
Testimony of Pauline Heuze, Recruitment Assistant at Liebherr Aerospace and TransportationLiebherr 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 Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology work on student space exploration projectsISAE-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
Pages
“Navigation, Radar and Remonte Sensing” (NAVIR² eS) scientific groupThe “Navigation, Radar and Remonte Sensing” (NAVIR² eS) scientific group is interested in the theoretical study of information sources and hybridization approaches for autonomous vehicle navigation applications.
DEOS
Doctoral student
PhD
Pages
Paying Apprenticeship TaxAre you a company, an organisation or a structure subject to corporation tax? By directing all or part of your apprenticeship tax to ISAE-SUPAERO, you will be playing an essential role in our mission to offer a complete and unique range of very high-level scientific training in the field of aerospace engineering and to participate in the transformation of aviation & its decarbonisation for a sustainable future! By choosing ISAE-SUPAERO as your beneficiary, you are encouraging the success of tomorrow's talent!
Aeronautics
Aerospace
Apprenticeship tax
Pages
Job offersAeronautics
Aerospace
AI
News
Our alumni have their say: Vinh Ly, co-founder of KyanosAlumni
Career
Startup
Pages
Validation of prior experienceThe validation of prior experience is an individual right enshrined in the French Labor Code and Education Code. It enables candidates to obtain all - or part - of a professional certification (Diploma, Professional Title, Certificate of Professional Qualification), based on their professional, salaried or non-salaried and/or voluntary experience. This scheme can be used if the candidate is seeking personal recognition, or more generally to support a professional project that he or she wishes to put into practice.
Advanced Master®
Aeronautics
Aerospace
Testimonials
Testimony of Juan-Carlos DOLADO-PEREZ, alumni of the 2008 Master's degree in Aerospace EngineeringAlumni
Space
Testimonial
News
Mission Insight: the contribution of researchers from ISAE-SUPAEROThe InSight lander deployed by NASA recorded two earthquakes that occurred on Mars in 2021, providing scientists with exceptional data, the first direct observations ever made of a planet's core.
DEOS
Space
News
Training new skills for the future of space: COMETES is launched!Company
Job
Space
News
France Alumni Day: 3 questions for Rosa Angélica CARDENAS SIERRA, ISAE-SUPAERO 2018 alumna of the Master in Aerospace Engineering programmeMeet Rosa Angélica Cardenas Sierra, a 20218 alumna who now works as R&T MFT Leader at Airbus Operations SAS.
Alumni
Master in Aerospace Engineering
Portrait
Testimonials
Testimony from Rémi Caresche, student (class of 2025) of the TAS ASTRO Advanced Master®Aerospace
Alumni
Testimonial
News
ISAE-SUPAERO will be at the Paris Air Show from June 16 to 22, 2025!Aeronautics
Event
Fair
Testimonials
“World Alumni Day”: 3 questions to Florian DELPECH, 2022 alumni of the engineering course – Data and Decision Sciences programAerospace
Alumni
Pages
French Space Defence AcademyIn order to drive and implement the ambitions set out in the Space Defence Strategy, the creation of a space defence expertise sector offering attractive 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
ISAE-SUPAERO announces new partnership with ESA Academy to support future Master in Aerospace Engineering studentsAerospace
Master in Aerospace Engineering
Scholarship
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
News
Airbus Defence and Space and ISAE-SUPAERO train members of the Peruvian space agencyTwenty engineers from the Peruvian space agency attended a training course in Toulouse, jointly designed by ISAE-SUPAERO and Airbus Defence and Space, to develop their skills in the field of space systems and space missions.
DCAS
Short internship
Space
Testimonials
Testimonial of Elisa Baumgarten, Advanced Master® AES student (class of 2025)Advanced Master®
Testimonial
News
Meeting with Joseph Risson, engineering student and winner of a scholarship for his Viraj H2 projectOn 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
“Connected Systems” (SysCo) scientific groupThe scientific dynamic of the “Connected Systems” (SysCo) scientific group focuses primarily on network-related issues in aerospace applications, i.e. space communications, embedded networks and certain types of connected systems.
DISC
Doctoral student
PhD
News
3 questions to... Loïc Jecker, S-Cube member from 2011 to 2013Meet Loïc Jecker, member of S-Cube - SUPAERO Space Section - ISAE-SUPAERO's experimental rocket club, from 2011 to 2013.
Space
Student club
Student life
Testimonials
Testimony of Matthieu Guilhem, student in the "Ingénieur généraliste" (MSc) courseApplication
Eligibles
Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)
Videos
ISAE-SUPAERO and Airbus Defence and Space organize an international training course on space systemsTwenty 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
Testimonials
“World Alumni Day”: 3 questions to Giuseppe Cataldo, 2010 alumni of the ISAE-SUPAERO general engineering courseAlumni
Testimonial
Pages
Our certificates of specialized studiesOur certificates of specialized studies are designed for professionals. They enable you to develop skills and expertise in the fields of digital, aeronautics, space, project management, systems engineering and artificial intelligence.
Advanced Master®
Aeronautics
Aerospace
Videos
The sound of a Martian dust devil captured by the SuperCam microphone on PerseveranceThis video and audio show the results obtained by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover and its SuperCam microphone when recording the sounds of a Martian dust devil passing overhead on 27 September 2021, the 215th Martian day or sol of the mission. The dust devil was 25 metres wide and at least 118 metres high, moving at a speed of approximately 19 km/h. This is the first time such a recording has been made, as capturing a dust devil requires a bit of luck. Indeed, it flew over the rover at a time when all of Perseverance's sensors measuring wind, pressure, temperature and dust, plus the NavigationXXX (Navcam) camera, were running. This allowed scientists to combine sounds, images and atmospheric data. The unique combination of this data, along with atmospheric modelling, enabled researchers to estimate the dimensions of the dust devil. Scientists cannot accurately predict when these vortices will occur. Rovers such as Perseverance and Curiosity monitor them regularly. When scientists notice that they are more frequent at a certain time of day or approaching from a certain direction, they focus their monitoring to try to capture a dust devil with all the sensors at their disposal. > To better understand the video, it shows three rows of images: - the row
DEOS
Researcher
Space
Testimonials
Testimony of Jorys Collard Casanova, student (class of 2025) of the TAS AERO FTE Advanced Master®Advanced Master®
Testimonial
Testimonials
Testimony of Fabien Delcan, student in the "Ingénieur généraliste" (MSc) courseApplication
Eligibles
Ingénieur généraliste (MSc)
Testimonials
Testimony from Lisa Wong, 2024 graduate of the TAS ASTRO Advanced Master® programme, SEEDS optionAerospace
Alumni
Testimonial
Pages
“Space Systems for Planetology and Applications” (SSPA) scientific groupThe “Space Systems for Planetology and Applications” (SSPA) scientific group focuses on one main area of research: the development of missions and associated technologies for geophysical exploration of the solar system.
DEOS
Doctoral student
PhD
Pages
Innovating in a World of Transition - SafranThe challenges facing the aerospace industry (energy transition, New Space, digitalization) are driving a growing need for professionals with the ability to innovate. Against this backdrop, Safran and ISAE-SUPAERO are creating the Innovating in a World in Transition Chair.
Aeronautics
Aerospace
Chair
Testimonials
Testimony of Matthieu LP, student (class of 2025) of the IEM Advanced Master®Aerospace
Alumni
Testimonial
Videos
Testimonials from Alex Dejoie and Sofia Cardola, engineering and master in aerospace engineering studentsISAE-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
Videos
Perseverance collects first Martian sounds: explanation by Dr. Naomi Murdoch & Dr. Alexander StottDr Naomi Murdoch, researcher in space instrumentation and planetary science, and Dr Alexander Stott, post-doctoral fellow, tell us more about the physical characteristics of Mars' atmosphere, in particular the speed of sound and its attenuation. These analyses were published in Nature on April 1, 2022 by an international team led by a teacher-researcher from Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier University, and including scientists from CNRS and ISAE-SUPAERO.
DEOS
Researcher
Space