Training Current Opportunities
| Date of activity | Programme | Deadline of application | Type | Status |
| 13-17 May 2024 | Space Weather Training Course | 11 March 2024, 23:59 CET | Training Session | Closed |
| 21-24 May 2024 | Space Systems Engineering Training Course | 4 March 2024, 23:59 CET | Training Session | Closed |
| 27-31 May 2024 | CubeSat Hands-on Training Week | 11 March 2024, 23:59 CET | Hands-On | Closed |
| 10-14 June 2024 | Space Standards Training Course | 2 April 2024, 23:59 CET | Training Session | Closed |
| 17-18 June 2024 | ESA/ELGRA Gravity-Related Research Summer School | 8 April 2024, 23:59 CET | Summer School | Closed |
| 24-28 June 2024 | Navigation Training Course | 29 April 2024, 23:59 CEST | Training Session | Open |
| 8-12 July 2024 | Spacecraft Testing Workshop | 26 April 2024, 23:59 CET | Workshop | Open |
| 15-19 July 2024 | Earth Observation Remote Sensing Workshop | 29 April 2024, 23:59 CEST | Workshop | Open |
| 5-30 August 2024 | CubeSat Summer School | 15 April 2024, 23:59 CET | Summer School | Open |
*The ESA Education Office reserves the right to reschedule or withdraw ESA Academy training sessions within a reasonable time before delivery.
Space Weather Training Course 2024
Status: Call for applications is open.
Date: 13 - 17 May 2024
Description: ESA intends to provide students with an overview and introduction to the space weather domain from a range of perspectives. This will include scientific and technological fundamentals, space weather monitoring, forecasting, modelling, and understanding of its technological impacts along with an outlook toward the future evolution of these fields. The course will include lectures and hands-on practical work together with tours of key facilities providing an essential part of the current European space weather landscape: ESA’s Space Weather Coordination Centre and the Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence at the Space Pole in Brussels, and both ESA’s Space Weather Data Centre and Proba-2 Operations Centre at ESEC-Redu.
Preliminary schedule:
| Day 1 | Introduction to Space Weather and Physics Fundamentals |
| Day 2 |
Space Weather Modelling, Monitoring and Forecasting Space Weather Impact on Space Surveillance, Tracking and Spacecraft Operations Space Environment Impacts on Space-Based Systems + Demo |
| Day 3 |
Space Weather Impact on Navigation, Communication Systems and Ground-based Systems Visit of the Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence and ESA’s Space Weather Coordination Centre |
| Day 4 | Visit of ESEC-Redu and final presentations |
Space Systems Engineering Training Course 2024
Status: Call for applications is open.
Date: 21 – 24 May 2024
Description: Space Systems Engineers take charge of space projects, guiding them from inception to completion. They collaborate with diverse fields to define user needs, establish requirements, and craft the ultimate design. Additionally, they oversee the project through assembly, integration, testing, and eventual operation. Over the span of four days, students in attendance will gain insight into the foundations and hurdles of Space Systems Engineering. The course aims to provide valuable understanding of Concurrent Design, system-based Verification and Validation, and their correlations with project management aspects such as planning and risk management. Additionally, participants will engage in several group exercises designed to familiarize them with system engineering deliverables and practical challenges encountered by space systems engineers in real-world scenarios.
Preliminary schedule:
| Day 1 | Scope and Context of Systems Engineering How to represent a System The Space Programmatic Environment Tasks of a Systems Engineer |
| Day 2 | Systems Engineering Process System Requirements Design of a Space Mission: Concurrent Engineering |
| Day 3 | Design of a Space Mission: Budgets, Margins, Timeline and Modes Development and Verification Approach Project, Engineering and Quality Management: Theory and Exercises |
| Day 4 | Project, Engineering and Quality Management: Methods and Tools Schedule and Cost Control Application of a real space project Risk Management Launch, Commissioning and Operations |
CubeSat Hands-On Training Week 2024
Status: Call for applications is open.
Date: 27 – 31 May 2024
Description: This Training Week is a great opportunity for university students to get hands-on experience with CubeSats and to apply theoretical knowledge obtained from classroom lectures. In groups of two, students will have the opportunity to perform experiments on Educational Satellites (ESAT) and learn how subsystems work and interact with each other. These are 10cm x 10cm x 10cm models (similar to a 1U CubeSat) developed by Theia Space, with the specific aim of providing university students with hands-on experience. They will also discover how to conduct Assembly, Integration and Verification (AIV), and how to handle tests using real hardware. The aim of the Training Week is to help students that have innovative ideas for educational CubeSat missions, or are working on CubeSat projects at a conceptual or preliminary stage. As an outcome, students will be able to inject the new knowledge gained from the training week into the early design phase of their CubeSat projects.
Preliminary schedule:
| Day 1 | Welcome and Introduction Fly Your Satellite! Programme and System Engineering Principles - Lecture Introduction to ESAT model - Lab Session Software – Lecture & Lab Session |
| Day 2 | Software – Lab Session On-Board Data Handling (OBDH) - Lecture & Lab Session |
| Day 3 | Electrical Power System (EPS) - Lecture & Lab Session AIV & Testing – Lecture Attitude Determination Control System (ADCS) - Lecture |
| Day 4 | Assembly, Integration and Verification & Testing – Lab Session Attitude Determination Control System (ADCS) – Lab Session Spacecraft Communications – Lecture & Lab Session |
| Day 5 | Final design consolidation & any open issues Each group final presentation |
Space Standards Training Course 2024
Status: Call for applications is open.
Date: 10-14 June 2024
Description: Over the course of five days, participants will receive a comprehensive introduction to the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS). Renowned experts from the European Space Agency (ESA) will enlighten participants on the pivotal role of standards in shaping and influencing the execution of space activities. The curriculum will delve into the significance of adhering to standards across various disciplines within ESA while developing space technologies.
Preliminary schedule:
| Day 1 |
- Introduction to Space Engineering and Standardisation - System Engineering - ECSS System - Product Assurance and Quality Assessment |
| Day 2 |
- Management - Structures - Mechanisms - Standardisation to Accomplish Mission to Mars I |
| Day 3 |
- Thermal Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Control Engineering - Standardisation to Accomplish Mission to Mars II |
| Day 4 |
- Communications Protocols - Software Engineering - Software Product Assurance - Standardisation to Accomplish Mission to Mars III |
| Day 5 |
- Ground Systems and Operations - Lunar Gateway and Application of Standards (NASA, ESA and JAXA) - Advanced and Smart Manufacturing & 3D Printing |
ESA/ELGRA Gravity-Related Research Summer School 2024
Status: Call for applications is open.
Date: 17-28 June 2024
Description: The ESA/ELGRA Gravity-Related Research Summer School provides a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge research conducted in microgravity and hypergravity conditions. You will be immersed in the fascinating world of altered gravity and investigate the benefits of conducting research and technology demonstrations in these unique settings. The Summer School is designed in a blended format.
Preliminary schedule:
| Week 1 (17 – 21 June 2024) | |
| Day 1 |
Introduction to ESA, its programmes and opportunities Introduction to ELGRA and SELGRA Gravity-related research overview Gravity and gravity-related research platforms ESA Education Office and hands-on programmes Presentations by Former Student Teams of ESA Academy’s Hands-On Programmes Team Project Introduction |
| Day 2 |
Develop a Gravity-Related Experiment Life Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 1 Physical Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 1 Human Physiology Gravity-Related Research Lecture 1 Team Work |
| Day 3 |
Life Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 2 Physical Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 2 Human Physiology Gravity-Related Research Lecture 2 Team Work |
| Day 4 |
Life Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 3 Physical Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 3 Human Physiology Gravity-Related Research Lecture 3 Project Management Workshop Team Work |
| Day 5 |
Team Project Topic Pitch Systems Engineering and Requirements Definition Workshop Experience of an ESA Astronaut |
| Week 2 (24 - 28 June 2024) | |
| Day 6 |
Team Work Team Meetings with Tutors |
| Day 7 | Team Work |
| Day 8-9 |
Team Work Team Meetings with Tutors |
| Day 10 |
Team Project Presentations Conclusion |
Spacecraft Testing Workshop
Status: Call for applications is open.
Date: 8-12 July 2024
Description: In the ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility, selected students will receive lectures from ESA experts on different topics related to testing, from product assurance and systems engineering to the most common types of environmental tests applied to spacecraft. To top it off, students will have the unique opportunity to put their newly acquired theoretical knowledge to the test! Students will prepare and execute a real-life hardware environmental test at the CubeSat Support Facility, by using a special educational test unit developed by the ESA Education Office.
| Day 1 |
- Space Systems Engineering - Space Project Testing - Assembly Integration and Testing Product Assurance: Every Failure is a Lesson! |
| Day 2 |
- Mechanical Environment & Vibration Testing - Thermal Environment & Thermal Vacuum Testing - Verification Planning - Assembly and Test Procedure Preparation |
| Day 3 |
- Cleanliness and Contamination Control - Functional and Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing - Assembly and Test Procedure Preparation (continued) - Assembly / Setup |
| Day 4 |
- Thermal Vacuum Chamber - In-Orbit Testing - Vibration Test - Data Analysis |
| Day 5 |
- Data Analysis (continued) - To Radiation Testing…& Beyond! - Inspirational Lecture - Group project: test reporting and discussion |
Earth Observation Remote Sensing Workshop
Status: Call for applications is open.
Date: 15-19 July 2024
Description: During these five days of workshop at ESA Academy’s Training & Learning Facility (TLF) located in ESEC-Galaxia, Belgium, university students will become acquainted with the basics of Remote Sensing (RS), along with an overview of ESA’s EO satellite missions. Students will also learn about the science of radar and optical remote sensing, as well as data fusion. Delivered by EO experts from ESA, academic institutions and industry, emphasis will be given to gaining practical skills and putting them to use through group exercises using actual remote sensing tools.
Preliminary schedule:
| Day 1 |
Introduction to ESA, its programmes and opportunities Basics of Remote Sensing ESA Earth Observation Missions Image Visualisation and Analysis |
| Day 2 |
Earth Observation Processing Workflow Bio-geophysical Parameter Retrieval for Ocean Applications Bio-geophysical Parameter Retrieval for Land Applications Optical Remote Sensing |
| Day 3 |
Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) Radar Remote Sensing |
| Day 4 |
Processing and Analysis of Multi-Sensor SAR Time-series for Land Applications Introduction to Cloud-Based Earth Observation Data Analytics Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Applications |
| Day 5 |
Radar and Optical Remote Sensing Data Fusion Evaluation |
CubeSat Summer School 2024
Status: Call for applications is open.
Date: 5-30 August 2024
Description: During the Summer School, ESA and external experts will deliver an extensive mix of lectures and hands-on activities. The entire project lifecycle of a satellite mission will be covered, from design to verification, launch and operations, including typical milestone reviews and new methodologies. Students will be introduced to project management best practices, legal, cybersecurity, and economic aspects of space projects. The Summer School will even introduce space entrepreneurship skills, offering support in devising methods of turning a CubeSat into a viable and profitable business opportunity!
Preliminary schedule:
| Week 1 | Fundamentals of satellite engineering and related disciplines |
| Week 2 | Designing a CubeSat mission with the Concurrent Engineering methodology |
| Week 3 | Assembly, Integration and Verification (AIV) + Environmental Test Campaigns |
| Week 4 | Launch and operations phases with simulated live passes with the real OPS-SAT Engineering Model and Mission Control System + lectures on business, cybersecurity and space entrepreneurship |