The Institute of Aeronautics and Space (IAE) is an organization subordinated to the Brazilian Air Force. Its mission is to increase the knowledge and to develop technical-scientific solutions to strength the Brazilian Aerospace Power, through Research, Development, Innovation, Launch Operations and Technological Services in aeronautics, space and defense systems. In fulfilling its mission, IAE seeks to provide answers to the immediate social needs of the Brazilian society, without neglecting the need to preserve the environment for the generation to come.
IAE was founded in 1954 as part of the Department of Science and Aerospace Technology of the Brazilian Air Force. It is located in the city of São José dos Campos, 90 km distant from the capital of the state of São Paulo. The 1,100 employees of IAE conduct research, development and innovation in fundamental areas of the aerospace field including, among others: materials, propulsion, aerodynamics, guidance, control, meteorology, telemetry, sensors, on board software and acoustics. To support the research and to respond to the strict technical requirements of the aerospace industry, the 70 laboratories of IAE are in constant improvement, in terms of high qualified personnel and state-of-the-art equipment. To assure excellence in their activities international standards are applied to IAE laboratories.
Since its foundation, IAE has brought significant contributions to the development of Brazil. The third aircraft manufacturer in the world, the Brazilian Embraer, initiated its activities in 1969 by using projects, infrastructure and personnel transferred from IAE. It was also at IAE that ethanol was developed as automotive fuel. Today, 80% of the cars produced in Brazil are flex, i.e., they can operate by using both gasoline and ethanol as fuel. Nowadays rockets, such as VSB-30 and VS-40, designed and manufactured by IAE, are used by the European Space Agency (ESA) to carry microgravity and high speed experiments in and out of the earth atmosphere.
The projects developed by IAE follow the directives established by the Air Force Command and those of the National Program of Space Activities. Among the 52 projects under development stand out: Satellite Launcher Vehicle; Atmospheric Reentry Satellite; VSB-30 suborbital rocket; Unmanned Aerial Vehicle; Bi-fuel aeronautical engine; Short range air-to-air missile; Anti-radiation missile; Materials resistant to the ballistic impact and Electromagnetic radiation absorber materials. The financial resources used by IAE are provided by the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. To achieve its vision of being recognized in Brazil and abroad as an organization of excellence, capable of transforming research and development into innovation, IAE foster the following values among its personnel: human valuing, excellence, ethics, team work, initiative and creativity, scientific rigor, social responsibility, and discipline.