"First exercise results"

In 2007, 15 teams, gathering eighty undergraduate and graduate students, participated in the first exercise of the Student Aerospace Challenge to develop innovative solutions for the Véhicule Suborbital Habité project (VSH / manned suborbital vehicle).

The teams gave their works in May. They has been assessed by the Challenge' Organization Committee on May 31. Representatives of partners and teachers have selected the best projects. They have awarded prizes to the following schools:

• Strate Collège Designers received the ACE Special Prize for its "Black Diamond" project with innovative solution for cabin accommodation and comfort.
   
• Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers (ENSAM) received the DASSAULT AVIATION Prize for the VSH' secondary propulsion study based on jet engine.
   
• Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (SupAéro) has been awarded by the SAFRAN Prize for the primary propulsion study with hybrid rocket.
   
• Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) and SupAéro received the THALES Prize for the management study of VSH project.
   
• Institue of Space and Telecommunications Law(IDEST/Paris XI) has been rewarded by ESA Prize for the legal aspects of the project.
   
• Ecole Supérieure de Toulouse (ESC) received IAF Prize for the study of all economical and industrial aspects of the project.
   
• ENSAM has been also awarded by GIFAS Prize for its primary propulsion study.

The winners of the Student Aerospace Challenge have been awarded in a special awards ceremony at the European Space Agency (Esa) stand at the Bourget Airshow, June 22, 2007. Each team has presented the results of their work before to receive diploma and partner's gift.

The partners of the Student Aerospace Challenge were surprised by the quality of the works in spite of a minimum supervision and a duration of a very short competition. This result is a very encouraging sign for the motivation and the quality of these future engineers.