History of IPSA
IPSA was founded in Paris in 1961 by Michel Cazin (private secretary to Louis de Broglie and director of the mechanics chair at the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers), Maurice Pradier (aerospace engineer) and Paul Lefort (engineer and helicopter instructor pilot).
1961 saw the start of the design of the Diamant launcher, which enabled France to take its place among the great space powers by sending the Asterix satellite into space four years later. This period was also marked by the design of the Concorde and numerous prototypes, testifying to a double technological revolution in the aeronautics and space sectors.
The school supported this revolution by training executives from the companies of the time that have become today’s industry leaders: Airbus, Dassault, Safran, Thales, Air France Industries, MBDA, Ariane Group… as well as subcontracting SMEs and airlines.
60s
1961
IPSA is founded in Paris by Michel Cazin (private secretary to Louis de Broglie and director of the mechanics chair at the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers), Maurice Pradier (aerospace engineer) and Paul Lefort (helicopter engineer and professor).
1961
The Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs, also known as the Moon Shot Speech, was a speech given by John F. Kennedy, President of the United States, to members of Congress on May 25, 1961. He announced that he wanted to put an American on the Moon before the end of the decade, and asked them to vote the necessary budgets to achieve this.
1961
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man to reach low Earth orbit on April 12, 1961
1963
Valentina Terechkova, the first woman in space on June 16, 1963.
1965
Graduation of the 1st IPSA class
Creation of CNES, the French space agency
1965
France becomes 3rd space power with the launch of the Asterix satellite with the Diamant rocket
The very first spacewalk in history is performed on March 18, 1965, by Alexei Leonov
1965
Launch of Gemini 4, Edward White performs a 21-minute spacewalk
Mach 4, 5 and 6 speeds are exceeded in 1965.
1967
1st flight of the Boeing 737, April 9.
1969
“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.
Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the Moon on July 21, 1969.
70s
1973
Skylab, the American space station, is launched into orbit on May 14.
First flight of an all-electric airplane, Militky MB-E1, by Fred Militky and Heino Brditschka, who convert a Brditschka HB-3 motorglider. Heino flies for 14 minutes.
1975
Creation of ESA, the European Space Agency, on May 30.
1976
Concorde’s 1st commercial supersonic flight, on January 21.
1979
Launch of the European Ariane 1 rocket on December 24
80s
1982
Jean-Loup Chrétien, 1st Frenchman in space, on June 24. He took off from Baikonur for the Soviet space station Salyut.
1989
1st flight of the Delta-shaped Northrop B2 stealth aircraft
1990s
1992
Fully operational, the GPS system enables precise positioning
1998
Launch of the first component of the International Space Station, the Zarya module, on November 20
1999
IPSA joins the IONIS Group and moves to Kremlin-Bicêtre. Anchoring the school in computer science and embedded systems.
1999
Decision to launch production lines for the A3XX, the future Airbus A380 jumbo jet. Industrial expansion of on-board systems.
The first non-stop round-the-world balloon flight is completed by the Breitling Orbiter III
2000s
2003
IPSA passes the 500-student mark.
2003
More than 100 exo-planets discovered. Wmap satellite maps the birth of the universe.
2004
The Huygens probe (ESA) dives onto Titan
Aerospace propulsion takes a major step forward with a new world speed record for an aerobic (air-breathing) engine, set by the American X-43 demonstrator (mach 10).
2006
IPSA hosts the 6th European Congress of the Mars Society.
Pluto is reclassified in a new solar system family: the dwarf planets.
2007
IPSA opens a 2nd campus in Toulouse.
The Airbus A380 makes its first commercial flight from Singapore to Sydney (Singapore Airlines). This double-decker marked a turning point in the industry with its capacity to carry up to 853 passengers in high-density configuration.
2009
IPSA joins Aerospace Valley, a global competitiveness cluster focused on aeronautics, space and embedded systems
IPSA moves to Ivry-sur-Seine campus.
2009
Launch of an Ariane 5 L545 W187 from Kourou. This is the 17th consecutive success and the 43rd launch of an Ariane 5.
First flight of the Solar Impulse HB-SIA solar airplane.
Year 2010
2010
The shuttle Discovery takes off with Robonaut 2, the first space android controlled by virtual reality.
2011
IPSA celebrates its 50th anniversary!
2011
The Solar Impulse makes its1st round-the-world flight powered solely by solar energy
2013
IPSA is a partner of the Patrouille de France and is involved in the 60th anniversary celebrations, as well as in the production of the film dedicated to this prestigious patrol.
2017
A new 3-year course has been launched: IPSA’s Bachelor’s degree in aeronautics (french speaking program only).
2017
NASA has discovered Kepler-452b, an Earth-like planet.
Space X marked a historic milestone in March 2017, reusing a first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket for the 1st time, an achievement that demonstrated the cost-cutting potential of reusing launch vehicles.
2020s
2021
Flight of Jeff Bezos aboard Blue Origin New Shepard
NASA’s Perseverance rover lands on Mars
2021
IPSA celebrates its 60th anniversary
2023
IPSA becomes a member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles (CGE).
2024
IPSA opens a new campus in Lyon to host its Engineering and Bachelor’s programs at the start of the 2025 academic year.
