Institut supérieur de l'aéronautique et de l'espace

French engineering college

The Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE SUPAERO; ) is a French grande école of engineering, founded in 1909. It is the world's first dedicated institute of aerospace engineering. ISAE SUPAERO is part of University of Toulouse, ISSAT, PEGASUS, GEA, Toulouse Tech, CESAER and Aerospace Valley. The institute is ranked highly among Europe's engineering schools. Historically ISAE SUPAERO resulted from the merger between SUPAERO and ENSICA in the summer of 2007. The aim of this move was to increase the international visibility of SUPAERO and the ENSICA (both of which depend on the French Ministry of Defense), by sharing their faculty and experimental means. The institute also delivers continuing education through its subsidiary, EUROSAE. In 2011, ISAE founded Groupe ISAE with the engineering school, ENSMA. In 2012, Groupe ISAE was joined by ESTACA and by École de l'air et de l'espace. In January 2018, the Supméca, now called ISAE SUPMECA, joined the group. In February 2022, the École nationale de l'aviation civile, the biggest European aviation university, also joined the group. Since its founding in 1909 ISAE SUPAERO has produced more than 21,500 graduates. Some of them have achieved fame in their field, including: Henri Coandă, the discoverer of the Coandă effect; Henri Ziegler, father of the Airbus program; Frédéric d'Allest, first chairman of Arianespace; and Jean François Clervoy, astronaut.

ISAE was created by decree 2007 1384 of 24 September 2007. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Defence, and overseen by the DGA (the French Government Defence procurement agency), the institute is a public institution with a scientific, cultural, and professional vocation. It is governed by articles R.3411 1 to R.3411 28 of the Defence Code and is accredited by the Engineering Education Commission. ISAE SUPAERO also delivers national Doctorate and master's degrees and Advanced master's degrees accredited by la Conférence des Grandes Ecoles, an organization whose members are the most prestigious business and engineering schools in France. The institute is governed by an executive board of 27 members, headed by the President. The Board meets three times a year. The institute also has an educational board, a research board, and a continuing education board Members of the advisory boards come from within the Institute and academia and industry. ISAE SUPAERO has implemented an ISO 9001 quality management system (2008 version) for all of its activities (education, research and support).

The historic logo of the former SUPAERO school: the owl, associated with the Greek Goddess, Athena, is a symbol of knowledge. Today, the owl is still part of the ISAE SUPAERO logo. In 1909, Colonel Jean Baptiste Roche, a civil engineering officer and a graduate of l'Ecole Polytechnique, had the foresight and vision to anticipate the needs and future scope of the aeronautics industry in the world and founded the l'École Supérieure d'Aéronautique et de Constructions Mécaniques, or the Higher School of Aeronautics and Mechanical Construction in Paris. In 1930, the school was later renamed "l'Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique", under the leadership of the French engineer, Albert Caquot, and in 1972 it became l'Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace, or the Higher School of Aeronautics and Space, better known as "SUPAERO". Also in 1930, the School moved to more modern buildings in « la Cité de l'Air », located boulevard Victor in Paris. In 1968, SUPAERO moved to the vast aerospace hub of Toulouse Lespinet, in the heart of a stimulating higher education and research environment, right near l'Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile, the School of Civil Aviation (ENAC), which was also transferred to Toulouse the same year. In 1970, the former Paris premises of the School were home to l'École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées (ENSTA ParisTech or the Higher School of Advanced Techniques), until the latter moved to new premises on the campus of École Polytechnique in Palaiseau. They were transformed into the Conference Center of the Ministry of Defence. Several research laboratories were created in affiliation with the School and regrouped around the Toulouse ONERA center. Today, affiliated with the School, it conducts theoretical and applied research in defence in a wide range of fields including aerodynamics, automatic control, advanced robotics, aerospace electronics, computer systems, aerospace vehicles, aerospace mechanics, and propulsive systems. In 1975, SUPAERO was one of the first engineering schools in France to be accredited to deliver the doctoral degree. In 1994, SUPAERO became a public body with legal personality reporting to the Ministry of Defence. In practice, the institute is overseen by the DGA, Directorate General of Armaments (French Defence procurement agency) and under the direction of an "ingénieur général de l'armement".

ENSICA was created in Paris at the time of the Liberation, under the name, " École nationale des travaux aéronautiques " (ENTA or the National School of Aeronautical Construction), in accordance with article 8 of the law on finance of 1946. The first graduating class included 25 students who would join the military corps of engineers specialized in aeronautics. By decree of June 4, 1957, the school's name was changed to "l'École nationale d'ingénieurs des constructions aéronautiques (ENICA or the National School of Aeronautics Engineers). The degree program was extended to three years with a new focus on industry and a larger share of civilian students. In 1961, ENICA was relocated to Toulouse. Under the leadership of the Director, Émile Blouin, the School acquired its own identity and a new dimension. The geographic link was cut with SUPAERO, which until then had housed the school on its premises, Boulevard Victor, in Paris. The building of a new student center on campus helped create a cohesive identity and bring together the different graduating classes. In 1969, the School was affiliated with the common competitive exam for the top ranking engineering schools (ENSI). In 1979, the school was honored with the Medal of Aeronautics, awarded by the Engineer General of Armaments, Georges Bousquet. The same year, the School became known as l'école nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de constructions aéronautiques (ENSICA or the Higher National School of Aeronautics Construction Engineers).

In 2007, ENSAE SupAéro merged with ENSICA to create a single institution: l'Institut supérieur de l'aéronautique et de l'espace, or ISAE which brings together the two former schools' resources and facilities in one common organization. In 2015, the ingénieur ISAE SUPAERO degree program gave its name to the all school, which became ISAE SUPAERO. As of the summer of 2015, all of the institute's facilities are now located together on the Rangueil campus.