PERSEUS is a national-scale project led by CNES and ArianeGroup, bringing together more than 40 French universities. Students get to design, build and test real experimental rockets and aerospace technologies, working on challenges close to those faced in the space industry.

At ISAE-SUPAERO, PERSEUS is developing MINERVA, a 5 kN Ethanol/LOX liquid rocket engine designed to power the ASTREOS rocket. The project brings together several teams working on different aspects of the propulsion system, from engine design and testing to simulation and control.

Making every drop count.

The Perseus Injectors Team is developing bi-propellant coaxial swirl injectors for the MINERVA engine. Unlike the more conventional pintle injectors widely used in liquid rocket engines, coaxial swirl injectors use the propellants' rotational motion to create thin, rapidly mixing liquid sheets. This promising technology could improve atomization and combustion performance while opening the door to new injector architectures.

We're involved in the whole process: designing and optimizing injectors, running numerical simulations, manufacturing hardware, characterizing it experimentally and eventually performing hot-fire tests.

The work brings together fluid mechanics, combustion and propulsion engineering — with plenty of opportunities to get your hands dirty along the way.

Want to build a Digital Twin of a Rocket Engine?

The PERSEUS Ecosim Team models the MINERVA engine and its Vernon-based test bench using PROOSIS and ESPSS, the simulation tools used across the European space industry.

We're also building a model of ISAE-SUPAERO's own test bench, working closely with the Injectors team to connect simulations with experimental data.

Why join us?

Real industry experience: Learn to use PROOSIS and ESPSS, with no previous experience required.

The network: Work alongside CNES and ArianeGroup engineers through regular monthly meetings.

The trips: Take part in the annual PERSEUS conference in Paris.

The team: We're a relaxed group that likes learning by doing. We'll teach you what you need to know and figure things out together.

You don't need to be an expert to join us. PERSEUS brings together students with different backgrounds and levels of experience, all learning by working on a real rocket engine.

Whether you're interested in fluid mechanics, simulation, propulsion, experimentation or systems engineering, there's a place for you in the project.

Come learn, build, test — and help us make MINERVA fly.