École Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace
Encyclopedia
The École Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace ("SUPAERO" or "ENSAE", translated as "National Higher School of Aeronautics and Space"), founded in 1909, is one of the most prestigious and selective grandes écoles
in France
. It was the world's first dedicated aerospace engineering
school and is considered to be one of the best in Europe in that field. SUPAERO's mascot is the Little Owl
(Athene noctua), a symbol of wisdom
sacred to the goddess Athena
.
In 2007, SUPAERO was grouped together with ENSICA
to form France's most prestigious aeronautical school: ISAE
. The aim of this move was to increase the international visibility of SUPAERO and ENSICA (which both depend from the French Ministry of Defense), by sharing their faculty and experimental means. The enrolment process for students, the courses, and the final diploma retain a distinction between ENSICA and SUPAERO. The present article focuses on SUPAERO only.
SUPAERO offers a three-year curriculum and a master's program. Since its founding in 1909 SUPAERO has produced more than 11,000 graduates; some of them have achieved fame in their field, including: Henri Coandă
, the discoverer of the Coanda effect
; Henri Ziegler
, father of the Airbus
program; Frédéric d'Allest, first chairman of Arianespace
; and Jean-François Clervoy
(class of 1983), astronaut.
In 1968 SUPAERO was relocated to the aerospace complex in Toulouse
, at the heart of a world-class scientific and industrial environment. On the same site, a large research center called the Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches de Toulouse (CERT, the Study and Research Center of Toulouse) was built at the same time. This center, associated with the School, has become the Toulouse center of the ONERA
(National Office for Aerospace Studies and Research). It carries out research directed by and towards the highly demanding aeronautical, aerospace and defence sectors. Nearby SUPAERO are also located the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC
, the National Higher School for Civilian Air Transport), the CNES
(the French space agency) and other research laboratories.
In 1994, SUPAERO became a public institution of an administrative nature under the supervision of the Ministry of Defense
. It has a Board of Directors.
In 2007, SUPAERO merged with ENSICA
, another aerospace engineering school from Toulouse, so as to reduce redundancy and gain more international visibility. The new entity is called the Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE
). The two schools, however, retain their recruitment process for the student body and deliver two separate diplomas .
SUPAERO is part of the École polytechnique
's program for further specialization and is authorized to award the degree of Doctor of the National Higher School of Air and Space engineering, with its own seal.
As with all engineering schools in France, someone obtaining a diploma from SUPAERO will have completed at least five years of studies after high school. The engineering degree is obtained after at least two years of studies at the school and an initial education either in elite Classes Préparatoires or at university (with excellent grades). SUPAERO delivers master's degrees as well for students coming from other schools or universities, and wishing to specialise.
, lasers, advanced thermodynamics
, advanced solid mechanics
. They also have a ground-up education on aerodynamics
and flight dynamics
, with numerous practical sessions. Time is also spent on humanities: students are required to take at least two foreign languages among which one must be English
but are allowed to take up to four languages if they wish to do so. They also must attend culture seminaries, which are held by specialists of the field.
The program also places a strong emphasis on practical education, with, for instance, two projects called Travaux Expérimentaux (experimental works) where students, working in pairs, discover a subject conducting experiments under the supervision of one or two laboratory assistants. The subjects range from microwave
engineering, wind tunnel
experiences to live flight tests in one of Supaero's planes, a TB-20 that has been modified and certified for experimental flights. Each Travail Experimental is done in ten sessions of two hours.
Near the end of the first year, students can specialise in one of the following branches: computer science, aircraft engineering, finance, advanced physics. The year ends with a personal project (called PIR, projet d'initiation à la recherche) on a subject freely chosen (which might belong either to the engineering field and/or humanities).
, structure mechanics, signal processing
, furthering their knowledge in aerodynamics
and flight dynamics
(with at least one practical flight in one of the DR-400
of Supaero's fleet), etc. In February, students specialise in one of the following branches:
At the end of the second year, the students have a one-month project done in a team of four, with no courses to attend. The project is strictly experimental and related to engineering topics (in a sharp contrast to the first-year project where "everything" is possible). The projects are sometimes studies done for industrials, under the supervision of a professor. Students can skip the project and do a three-months internship instead.
.
In their third year, students choose a domaine (major) in one of five fields, then choose a further specialisation (approfondissements, in-depth option). The domaines are:
The in-depth options are:
All these options are taught by invited guests coming from all over France, and working in corporations such as Airbus
, Alcatel Space, Dassault, EADS
, the French space agency (CNES
), as well as research laboratories: ONERA, LAAS/CNRS
, or the INRIA, for instance.
Eligible students can also take additional courses to obtain a research-oriented master (formerly known as the Diplôme d'Études Approfondies
) in a field compatible with their education. This will enable them to start a Ph.D. after the end of the year. Also, some students may choose to take additional courses in management at the end of the year to obtain the DESIA (Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures en Ingéniérie des Affaires).
In third year, courses end in mid-March. To complete their studies, students must do an internship of at least three months, but six months are not unusual. The graduation ceremony takes place invariably on the first Friday of October, and is followed by the traditional prom ball on the next Saturday.
, Masters
as well as the MSc
in Aeronautical Engineering or the MSc
. in Aerospace Communication Systems, both taught in English, for people having a bachelor of science
or another MSc
. The courses last at least three trimesters.
Students also take part in the annual Tournoi des Grandes Ecoles, a sports competition gathering students from all Grandes Ecoles
in France, accompanied by their (in)famous mascot, the toothed owl.
Supaero has also distinguished itself in the field of robotics
, having ranked third (in 2003) and first (in 2004) at the Eurobot Open
http://www.planete-sciences.org/robot/eurobot2004/resultat/finales.phphttp://www.eurobot.org, and coming up regularly in the top ranking teams of the French Robotics Cup.
for the HETE
and HETE 2 satellites http://cosmic.riken.go.jp/hete/Cayenne/Stela_hete_eng.htm. Currently, many of the projects revolve around micro-drones
.
However, the bulk of the research is generally performed and published as coming from the ONERA offices of Toulouse (which are located next to the school) and near Paris, or other laboratories such as the LAAS
or the INRIA with which Supaero has privileged links. This accounts for the serious underestimation of the number of published papers and patents obtained by the school. Indeed, a vast majority of the professors at Supaero share their time between the school (for the teaching part) and nearby laboratories (for the research part). Similarly, most PhD students from Supaero actually do their research in collaboration with other labs and are likely to publish as members from other institutions. Limiting schools and universities to (mostly) teaching, and doing the research in dedicated labs is a typical French mindset and Supaero is no exception to the rule. This is discussed further in the article dedicated to education in France
.
Grandes écoles
The grandes écoles of France are higher education establishments outside the main framework of the French university system. The grandes écoles select students for admission based chiefly on national ranking in competitive written and oral exams...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It was the world's first dedicated aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
school and is considered to be one of the best in Europe in that field. SUPAERO's mascot is the Little Owl
Little Owl
The Little Owl is a bird which is resident in much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It is not native to Great Britain, but was first introduced in 1842, and is now naturalised there...
(Athene noctua), a symbol of wisdom
Wisdom
Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and...
sacred to the goddess Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
.
In 2007, SUPAERO was grouped together with ENSICA
ENSICA
The École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de constructions aéronautiques , meaning National Higher School of aeronautical constructions, is a French engineering school founded in 1945. It is located in Toulouse....
to form France's most prestigious aeronautical school: ISAE
ISAE
The Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace or ISAE is the name for the French aerospace engineering school in Toulouse part of University of Toulouse and Aerospace Valley, resulting from the so called "rapprochement" between SUPAERO and ENSICA...
. The aim of this move was to increase the international visibility of SUPAERO and ENSICA (which both depend from the French Ministry of Defense), by sharing their faculty and experimental means. The enrolment process for students, the courses, and the final diploma retain a distinction between ENSICA and SUPAERO. The present article focuses on SUPAERO only.
SUPAERO offers a three-year curriculum and a master's program. Since its founding in 1909 SUPAERO has produced more than 11,000 graduates; some of them have achieved fame in their field, including: Henri Coandă
Henri Coanda
Henri Marie Coandă was a Romanian inventor, aerodynamics pioneer and builder of an experimental aircraft, the Coandă-1910 described by Coandă in the mid-1950s as the world's first jet, a controversial claim disputed by some and supported by others...
, the discoverer of the Coanda effect
Coanda effect
The Coandă effect is the tendency of a fluid jet to be attracted to a nearby surface. The principle was named after Romanian aerodynamics pioneer Henri Coandă, who was the first to recognize the practical application of the phenomenon in aircraft development....
; Henri Ziegler
Henri Ziegler
Henri Ziegler was one of the founders of Airbus and its first president.A Polytechnic engineer and graduate of "Sup'Aéro" as well as a French air force officer and test pilot, he was a founding father of Airbus Industrie and became its first...
, father of the Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
program; Frédéric d'Allest, first chairman of Arianespace
Arianespace
Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane 5 rocket launcher as part of the Ariane programme....
; and Jean-François Clervoy
Jean-François Clervoy
Jean-François André Clervoy is a French engineer and test pilot and an CNES and ESA astronaut. He is a veteran of three NASA Space Shuttle missions.-Personal life:...
(class of 1983), astronaut.
History
In 1909, an engineering officer, Colonel Jean-Baptiste Roche imagined the future prospects and uses that airplanes would have in the world, and founded the École supérieure d'aéronautique et de constructions mécaniques (Higher Aeronautics and Mechanical Building School) in Paris, boulevard Victor (which is now the campus of the ENSTA). The school became in 1930 the École nationale supérieure de l'aéronautique (National Higher School of Aeronautics); then, in 1972, it was called the École Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace or, more simply, SUPAERO, which is the name most associated with the school.In 1968 SUPAERO was relocated to the aerospace complex in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, at the heart of a world-class scientific and industrial environment. On the same site, a large research center called the Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches de Toulouse (CERT, the Study and Research Center of Toulouse) was built at the same time. This center, associated with the School, has become the Toulouse center of the ONERA
Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales
Office National d'Études et de Recherches Aérospatiales or Onera is the French aerospace research center. It is a public establishment with industrial and commercial operations, and carries out application-oriented research to support enhanced innovation and competitiveness in the aerospace and...
(National Office for Aerospace Studies and Research). It carries out research directed by and towards the highly demanding aeronautical, aerospace and defence sectors. Nearby SUPAERO are also located the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC
ENAC
ENAC may refer to: - a French civil aeronautics academy* Epithelial sodium channel * Italian Civil Aviation Authority...
, the National Higher School for Civilian Air Transport), the CNES
CNES
The is the French government space agency . Established under President Charles de Gaulle in 1961, its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defence and Research...
(the French space agency) and other research laboratories.
In 1994, SUPAERO became a public institution of an administrative nature under the supervision of the Ministry of Defense
Minister of Defence (France)
The Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs is the French government cabinet member charged with running the military of France....
. It has a Board of Directors.
In 2007, SUPAERO merged with ENSICA
ENSICA
The École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de constructions aéronautiques , meaning National Higher School of aeronautical constructions, is a French engineering school founded in 1945. It is located in Toulouse....
, another aerospace engineering school from Toulouse, so as to reduce redundancy and gain more international visibility. The new entity is called the Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE
ISAE
The Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace or ISAE is the name for the French aerospace engineering school in Toulouse part of University of Toulouse and Aerospace Valley, resulting from the so called "rapprochement" between SUPAERO and ENSICA...
). The two schools, however, retain their recruitment process for the student body and deliver two separate diplomas .
SUPAERO is part of the École polytechnique
École Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
's program for further specialization and is authorized to award the degree of Doctor of the National Higher School of Air and Space engineering, with its own seal.
Curriculum
SUPAERO offers a broad education in engineering, focused mainly on those subjects that are of interest in the air or space industry, but also touching areas that may find applications in other fields as well. As a matter of fact, more than half of the students will end up working outside the aerospace industry.As with all engineering schools in France, someone obtaining a diploma from SUPAERO will have completed at least five years of studies after high school. The engineering degree is obtained after at least two years of studies at the school and an initial education either in elite Classes Préparatoires or at university (with excellent grades). SUPAERO delivers master's degrees as well for students coming from other schools or universities, and wishing to specialise.
First year
The first year is attended by circa 120 students coming from two years-long classes préparatoires after high school, who already possess excellent bases in higher mathematics and physics, and have successfully passed a stringent competitive examination sat by about 11,000 students annually . The first year at Supaero aims at perfecting that knowledge and gradually giving the student skills more directly applicable in the industry. Students finish their education in advanced mathematics and physics that they have started prior to their admission to Supaero, and learn subjects such as quantum mechanicsQuantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
, lasers, advanced thermodynamics
Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is a physical science that studies the effects on material bodies, and on radiation in regions of space, of transfer of heat and of work done on or by the bodies or radiation...
, advanced solid mechanics
Solid mechanics
Solid mechanics is the branch of mechanics, physics, and mathematics that concerns the behavior of solid matter under external actions . It is part of a broader study known as continuum mechanics. One of the most common practical applications of solid mechanics is the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation...
. They also have a ground-up education on aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
and flight dynamics
Flight dynamics
Flight dynamics is the science of air vehicle orientation and control in three dimensions. The three critical flight dynamics parameters are the angles of rotation in three dimensions about the vehicle's center of mass, known as pitch, roll and yaw .Aerospace engineers develop control systems for...
, with numerous practical sessions. Time is also spent on humanities: students are required to take at least two foreign languages among which one must be English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
but are allowed to take up to four languages if they wish to do so. They also must attend culture seminaries, which are held by specialists of the field.
Microwave
Microwaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...
engineering, wind tunnel
Wind tunnel
A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
experiences to live flight tests in one of Supaero's planes, a TB-20 that has been modified and certified for experimental flights. Each Travail Experimental is done in ten sessions of two hours.
Near the end of the first year, students can specialise in one of the following branches: computer science, aircraft engineering, finance, advanced physics. The year ends with a personal project (called PIR, projet d'initiation à la recherche) on a subject freely chosen (which might belong either to the engineering field and/or humanities).
Second year
The second year is attended by the first years, as well as a number of students coming from other French or foreign universities, and military officers (about four or five each year), thus bringing the total number of students to about 150. Academically speaking, the second year is quite similar to the first. Students continue their education in engineering, now learning automationAutomation
Automation is the use of control systems and information technologies to reduce the need for human work in the production of goods and services. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond mechanization...
, structure mechanics, signal processing
Signal processing
Signal processing is an area of systems engineering, electrical engineering and applied mathematics that deals with operations on or analysis of signals, in either discrete or continuous time...
, furthering their knowledge in aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
and flight dynamics
Flight dynamics
Flight dynamics is the science of air vehicle orientation and control in three dimensions. The three critical flight dynamics parameters are the angles of rotation in three dimensions about the vehicle's center of mass, known as pitch, roll and yaw .Aerospace engineers develop control systems for...
(with at least one practical flight in one of the DR-400
Avions Robin
Avions Robin was a French manufacturer of light aeroplanes. It was previously known as Avions Pierre Robin and Centre Est Aeronautique. The company was bought by Apex Aircraft in 1988.-History:...
of Supaero's fleet), etc. In February, students specialise in one of the following branches:
- aerodynamicsAerodynamicsAerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
, - automationAutomationAutomation is the use of control systems and information technologies to reduce the need for human work in the production of goods and services. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond mechanization...
, - economicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, - thermodynamicsThermodynamicsThermodynamics is a physical science that studies the effects on material bodies, and on radiation in regions of space, of transfer of heat and of work done on or by the bodies or radiation...
and propulsionAir propulsionAir propulsion is the generation of thrust during flight by an aircraft or a creature such as a bird, bat or insect.-Aircraft:An aircraft propulsion system must serve two purposes. First, the thrust from the propulsion system must balance the drag of the airplane when the airplane is cruising...
systems, - computer scienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, - mechanical structures and resistance,
- optimisationOptimization (mathematics)In mathematics, computational science, or management science, mathematical optimization refers to the selection of a best element from some set of available alternatives....
and computer-aided decision making - numerical methods for mechanicsMechanicsMechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
- WavesWAVESThe WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...
and signals, with a focus on spatial telecommunications. - Earth and space sciences
At the end of the second year, the students have a one-month project done in a team of four, with no courses to attend. The project is strictly experimental and related to engineering topics (in a sharp contrast to the first-year project where "everything" is possible). The projects are sometimes studies done for industrials, under the supervision of a professor. Students can skip the project and do a three-months internship instead.
Third year
The third year can either be done at Supaero, or in a foreign university, or be spent in a year-long internship (in which case, the student comes back one year after to do his third academic year). This year is attended by students coming from the second year, as well as about thirty students coming from the Ecole PolytechniqueÉcole Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
.
In their third year, students choose a domaine (major) in one of five fields, then choose a further specialisation (approfondissements, in-depth option). The domaines are:
- Systèmes Aéronautiques (Aeronautical Systems)
- Systèmes Embarqués (Embedded Systems)
- Systèmes Energétiques (Energy Systems)
- Systèmes d'Information et de Décision (Information and Decision Systems)
- Systèmes Spatiaux (Space Systems)
The in-depth options are:
- Aérodynamique (AE - Aerodynamics)
- Automatique (AU - Automation)
- Ingénierie Financière (IF - Financial Engineering)
- Imagerie (IM - Image Processing)
- Systèmes Informatiques (IN - Information Systems)
- Logistique (LO - Logistics)
- Mécanique des véhicules spatiaux (MS - Mechanics for spacecrafts)
- Propulsion (PR - Propulsion)
- Physique Spatiale et Imagerie (PS - Space Physics and Imaging)
- Structures (ST - Structural Mechanics)
- Télécommunication / navigation (TN - Telecommunications / Navigation)
All these options are taught by invited guests coming from all over France, and working in corporations such as Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
, Alcatel Space, Dassault, EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
, the French space agency (CNES
CNES
The is the French government space agency . Established under President Charles de Gaulle in 1961, its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defence and Research...
), as well as research laboratories: ONERA, LAAS/CNRS
LAAS/CNRS
The Laboratory for analysis and architecture of systems is a laboratory depending from the Centre national de la recherche scientifique...
, or the INRIA, for instance.
Eligible students can also take additional courses to obtain a research-oriented master (formerly known as the Diplôme d'Études Approfondies
DEA (former French degree)
A Master of Advanced Studies is a non-consecutive postgraduate degree awarded predominantly in European countries. A MAS program offers comprehensive training in a specific field and can either give access to higher qualification in one's profession or lead to a new profession...
) in a field compatible with their education. This will enable them to start a Ph.D. after the end of the year. Also, some students may choose to take additional courses in management at the end of the year to obtain the DESIA (Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures en Ingéniérie des Affaires).
In third year, courses end in mid-March. To complete their studies, students must do an internship of at least three months, but six months are not unusual. The graduation ceremony takes place invariably on the first Friday of October, and is followed by the traditional prom ball on the next Saturday.
Masters
Supaero delivers Mastères SpécialiséMastère Spécialisé
The Mastère Spécialisé, also called the Specialized Master or Advanced Master is a French post-graduate program created in 1986 by the French Conférence des Grandes Écoles....
, Masters
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
as well as the MSc
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Aeronautical Engineering or the MSc
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
. in Aerospace Communication Systems, both taught in English, for people having a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
or another MSc
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
. The courses last at least three trimesters.
International cooperation
Supaero collaborates with the following 39 universities:- GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: Technische Universität BerlinTechnical University of BerlinThe Technische Universität Berlin is a research university located in Berlin, Germany. Translating the name into English is discouraged by the university, however paraphrasing as Berlin Institute of Technology is recommended by the university if necessary .The TU Berlin was founded...
, Technische Universität BraunschweigTechnische Universität BraunschweigThe TU Braunschweig is the oldest University of Technology in Germany. It was founded in 1745 as Collegium Carolinum and is a member of TU9, an incorporated society of the most renowned and largest German Institutes of Technology. Today it has about 13,000 students, making it the third largest...
, Technische Universität MünchenTechnical University of MunichThe Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
, Universität Stuttgart - AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
: Technische Universität WienVienna University of TechnologyVienna University of Technology is one of the major universities in Vienna, the capital of Austria. Founded in 1815 as the "Imperial-Royal Polytechnic Institute" , it currently has about 26,200 students , 8 faculties and about 4,000 staff members... - BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
: Faculté Polytechnique de MonsFaculté polytechnique de MonsThe Faculté Polytechnique de Mons is the oldest university of the city of Mons and the first Engineering school in Belgium . Its first name was «École des Mines» ....
, Université Catholique de LouvainUniversité catholique de LouvainThe Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known, especially in Belgium, as UCL, is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve and in Brussels...
, Université Libre de BruxellesUniversité Libre de BruxellesThe Université libre de Bruxelles is a French-speaking university in Brussels, Belgium. It has 21,000 students, 29% of whom come from abroad, and an equally cosmopolitan staff.-Name:...
, Université de LiègeUniversity of LiègeThe University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
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: Cranfield UniversityCranfield UniversityCranfield University is a British postgraduate university based on two campuses, with a research-oriented focus. The main campus is at Cranfield, Bedfordshire and the second is the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom based at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. The main campus is unique in the United...
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: Politecnico di Milano, Università degli studi di PisaUniversity of PisaThe University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
, Politecnico di Torino, University of Rome La SapienzaUniversity of Rome La SapienzaThe Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
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Student activities, events
Many events are organized annually by the students of the school among which the best known are:- The Trophée Aérien, an international flight rally
- Supaerowing, an international rowingRowing (sport)Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
competition that is held on the GaronneGaronneThe Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
. - The Convention, the first and most famous role-playingRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
convention in France;
Students also take part in the annual Tournoi des Grandes Ecoles, a sports competition gathering students from all Grandes Ecoles
Grandes écoles
The grandes écoles of France are higher education establishments outside the main framework of the French university system. The grandes écoles select students for admission based chiefly on national ranking in competitive written and oral exams...
in France, accompanied by their (in)famous mascot, the toothed owl.
Supaero has also distinguished itself in the field of robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
, having ranked third (in 2003) and first (in 2004) at the Eurobot Open
Eurobot
Eurobot is an international amateur robotics contest, created in 1998. It is open to teams of young people, organised either in student projects or in independent clubs.Eurobot takes place in Europe but also welcomes countries from other continents....
http://www.planete-sciences.org/robot/eurobot2004/resultat/finales.phphttp://www.eurobot.org, and coming up regularly in the top ranking teams of the French Robotics Cup.
Research
Students and the faculty are usually involved in long-term projects lasting many years, aiming at promoting a team spirit between the various departments of the school. Some notable projects are the Petit Canard (the Duckling), a training twin-jet aircraft prototype constructed in the '70s. In the late '90s, Supaero provided the primary ground stations at CayenneCayenne
Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic coast. The city's motto is "Ferit Aurum Industria" which means "Work brings wealth"...
for the HETE
High Energy Transient Explorer
The High Energy Transient Explorer was an American astronomical satellite with international participation . The prime objective of HETE was to carry out the first multiwavelength study of gamma-ray bursts with UV, X-ray, and gamma-ray instruments mounted on a single, compact spacecraft...
and HETE 2 satellites http://cosmic.riken.go.jp/hete/Cayenne/Stela_hete_eng.htm. Currently, many of the projects revolve around micro-drones
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
.
However, the bulk of the research is generally performed and published as coming from the ONERA offices of Toulouse (which are located next to the school) and near Paris, or other laboratories such as the LAAS
LAAS/CNRS
The Laboratory for analysis and architecture of systems is a laboratory depending from the Centre national de la recherche scientifique...
or the INRIA with which Supaero has privileged links. This accounts for the serious underestimation of the number of published papers and patents obtained by the school. Indeed, a vast majority of the professors at Supaero share their time between the school (for the teaching part) and nearby laboratories (for the research part). Similarly, most PhD students from Supaero actually do their research in collaboration with other labs and are likely to publish as members from other institutions. Limiting schools and universities to (mostly) teaching, and doing the research in dedicated labs is a typical French mindset and Supaero is no exception to the rule. This is discussed further in the article dedicated to education in France
Education in France
The French educational system is highly centralized, organized, and ramified. It is divided into three different stages:* the primary education ;* secondary education ;...
.
Famous alumni
During the 5 years preceding the first world war, SUPAERO produced 303 qualified engineers, 52 of which were foreigners. Among them are found some great names in aeronautics:- Raoul Badin (class of 1910), one of the main inventors of the airspeed indicatorAirspeed indicatorThe airspeed indicator or airspeed gauge is an instrument used in an aircraft to display the craft's airspeed, typically in knots, to the pilot.- Use :...
and forefather of instrument flying. - Henri CoandăHenri CoandaHenri Marie Coandă was a Romanian inventor, aerodynamics pioneer and builder of an experimental aircraft, the Coandă-1910 described by Coandă in the mid-1950s as the world's first jet, a controversial claim disputed by some and supported by others...
(class of 1910), discovered the Coandă EffectCoanda effectThe Coandă effect is the tendency of a fluid jet to be attracted to a nearby surface. The principle was named after Romanian aerodynamics pioneer Henri Coandă, who was the first to recognize the practical application of the phenomenon in aircraft development....
. - Henry PotezHenry PotezHenry Potez was a French aircraft industrialist.He studied in the French aeronautics school Supaéro. With Marcel Dassault, he was the inventor of the Potez-Bloch propeller which after 1917, have been set on most of all Allied planes of World War I.In 1919, he founded his own company Aviations...
(class of 1911), founder of the PotezPotezPotez was a French aircraft manufacturer founded as Aéroplanes Henry Potez by Henry Potez at Aubervilliers in 1919. The firm began by refurbishing war-surplus SEA IV aircraft, but was soon building new examples of an improved version, the Potez VII...
airplanes company, - Mikhail GurevichMikhail GurevichMikhail Iosifovich Gurevich was a Soviet aircraft designer, a partner of the famous MiG military aviation bureau. He was of Ukrainian Jewish Heritage....
(class of 1913), founder of MiGMig-Industry:*MiG, now Mikoyan, a Russian aircraft corporation, formerly the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau*Metal inert gas welding or MIG welding, a type of welding using an electric arc and a shielding gas-Business and finance:...
aircraft. - Marcel Bloch-DassaultMarcel DassaultMarcel Dassault, born Marcel Bloch was a French aircraft industrialist.-Biography:Dassault was born in Paris. After graduating from the lycée Condorcet, Breguet School and Supaero, he invented a type of aircraft propeller used by the French army during World War I and founded the Société des...
(class of 1913), founder of the DassaultDassault AviationDassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets, a subsidiary of Dassault Group.It was founded in 1930 by Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch or "MB". After World War II, Marcel Bloch changed his name to Marcel Dassault, and the name of the...
airplanes company, - André Couzinet (class of 1925), who conceived the Arc-en-CielArc-en-CielThe Arc-en-Ciel is a private weekly newspaper published in Burundi. The chief editor of the newspaper, Thierry Ndayishimiye, was arrested on defamation charges related to a story about alleged government corruption....
(the mythical plane flown by Jean MermozJean MermozJean Mermoz was a French aviator, viewed as a hero by many in both Argentina and his native France, where many schools bear his name...
), and also invented the retractable landing gearLanding GearLanding Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
and the modern yokeYoke (aircraft)A yoke, alternatively known as control column, is a device used for piloting in most fixed-wing aircraft.- Principle :The aviator uses the yoke to control the attitude of the plane, usually in both pitch and roll. Rotating the control wheel controls the ailerons and the roll axis...
. - Henri ZieglerHenri ZieglerHenri Ziegler was one of the founders of Airbus and its first president.A Polytechnic engineer and graduate of "Sup'Aéro" as well as a French air force officer and test pilot, he was a founding father of Airbus Industrie and became its first...
(class of 1931) father of the AirbusAirbusAirbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
program, - François HussenotFrançois HussenotFrançois Hussenot was a French engineer, credited with the invention of one of the early forms of the flight data recorder.He attended the Ecole Polytechnique from 1930 to 1932...
(class of 1935), inventor of the "hussenographe" (an early form of Flight data recorderFlight data recorderA flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
or "black box"); also involved in the creation of EPNEREPNEREPNER, is the French test pilot school, based at the Istres Le Tube Airbase, France. One of the four main test pilot schools in the western hemisphere, EPNER maintains close links with the other three schools; The Empire Test Pilot's School ; The United States Air Force Test Pilot School and The...
. - Serge DassaultSerge DassaultSerge Dassault is a French entrepreneur and conservative politician. According to Forbes magazine, he was the 96th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $9.3 billion....
(class of 1951), CEO of Dassault AviationDassault AviationDassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets, a subsidiary of Dassault Group.It was founded in 1930 by Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch or "MB". After World War II, Marcel Bloch changed his name to Marcel Dassault, and the name of the...
, - Frédéric d'Allest (class of 1966) first chairman of ArianespaceArianespaceArianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane 5 rocket launcher as part of the Ariane programme....
, - Jean-François ClervoyJean-François ClervoyJean-François André Clervoy is a French engineer and test pilot and an CNES and ESA astronaut. He is a veteran of three NASA Space Shuttle missions.-Personal life:...
(class of 1983), astronaut. - Thomas PesquetThomas PesquetThomas Pesquet is French engineer and pilot who has been chosen to train as a European Space Agency astronaut....
(class of 2001), astronaut. - Samantha CristoforettiSamantha CristoforettiSamantha Cristoforetti is an engineer, the third woman astronaut in the European Space Agency, and the first Italian woman astronaut.-Biography:...
, astronaut