January 30, 2017

CNES engaging PERSEUS students to invent launchers of the future

The 12th PERSEUS student space research seminar, organized by CNES’s Launch Vehicles Directorate (DLA), took place on 26 and 27 January in Massy Palaiseau. PERSEUS aims to lay the groundwork for the future through innovative, hands-on educational projects conceived by young undergraduate students.

Launched in 2005 at the Paris Air Show, the PERSEUS1 technology development programme is an integral part of the research and innovation policy led by CNES’s Launch Vehicles Directorate (DLA). As such, it is a unique tool for motivating young people, students and volunteer enthusiasts to take up careers in space, developing innovative solutions applicable to small launchers through the participative collaboration of CNES, universities, top engineering schools, aerospace associations and key partners from the aerospace industry (contractors, mid-tier firms and institutions).

At this year’s event, some 250 youngsters from France and Europe presented their work projects developing innovative technology solutions for launch systems, based on ground and flight demonstrators.

Bringing this 12th PERSEUS seminar to a close, DLA’s Deputy Director Véronique Palatin awarded the following prizes:

Best Teamwork Prize went to the ISAE-Supaero aeronautics and space institute, the IPSA aerospace engineering school, the Ecole Centrale de Lyon and Evry University for the SERA-2 rocket successfully tested at the Kiruna launch based in Sweden.

The Innovation Prize went to IPSA for the sandwich composite structural tubes designed for the SERA-3 rocket.

The Best Technology Prize went to IPSA for the development of a new roll-control system for the ARES-23 rocket.

The success of this year’s event furthers CNES’s policy of engaging young university and engineering school students and getting them interested in space careers.

1 Projet Etudiant de Recherche Spatiale Européenne Universitaire et Scientifique (European university/science student space research project.

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Contacts
Pascale Bresson    Tél. +33(0)1 44 76 75 39    pascale.bresson@cnes.fr
Fabienne Lissak     Tél. =33(0)1 44 76 78 74     fabienne.lissak@cnes.fr