Clean Space Training Course open for application

This training course offers an outstanding opportunity for university students to complement their engineering studies with insight into a key challenge: shaping the future of space missions, while building a strong foundation for those aspiring to become the next generation of space engineers.

The space sector has played a crucial role in advancing environmental research by offering unique perspectives on our planet and its fragile ecosystems, helping to raise public and political awareness of global environmental challenges. However, as space activities continue to expand, it is essential that space missions themselves reduce their environmental impact, both on Earth and in space.

To address this challenge, the ESA Clean Space initiative, launched in 2012, aims to better understand the environmental effects of the entire life cycle of space missions and to develop more sustainable technical solutions. Clean Space activities are structured around three complementary pillars:

1. EcoDesign: addressing environmental impacts across mission phases and fostering greener technologies;
2. End-of-life Management: minimising the generation of space debris and ensuring responsible disposal;
3. In-Orbit Servicing/Debris Removal: enabling the removal of defunct spacecraft and demonstrating servicing capabilities in orbit.

ESA is committed to equipping future space engineers with the knowledge and skills required to address the environmental challenges of space activities. Developed in collaboration between ESA Academy and the Clean Space Office, this course provides students with valuable insight into engineering approaches for reducing the environmental impact of space missions across their entire life cycle.

Through expert-led lectures, participants explore how to design satellites that minimise the generation of space debris, enable safe end-of-life disposal, support the removal of defunct spacecraft, and integrate environmentally responsible design choices from the earliest mission phases. To consolidate this knowledge, students work in parallel on a progressive group project, applying principles to the design of a “clean” satellite mission.

Students participating in the Clean Space Training Course will be evaluated based on their group work throughout the week and their final group presentation.

Preliminary schedule

Who can apply?

To participate, students must fulfil the following criteria at the time of application:

• be aged minimum 18 years old. ESA Academy and relevant partners will only appraise applications from students who have no or limited professional experience in relevant engineering or space-related topics;
• be a citizen of an ESA Member State, Canada*, or Associate Member;
• be enrolled as a MSc (BSc completed) or PhD student in a university (not graduating before the training course);
• be studying for an engineering degree;
• have a basic knowledge of space system design.

Selected students will be requested to attend the entire 4-day training course at ESEC-Galaxia. They will be sponsored by ESA to cover accommodation and meals, as well as up to 350 Euros for travelling to Belgium.

ESA is committed to achieving diversity and creating an inclusive professional environment. To this end, we welcome proposals and applications from all eligible candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability, or other characteristics. The ESA Academy strongly encourages inclusiveness within its programmes and within participating teams, which contributes to the enrichment of our programme.

Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support, either digitally or at the location of the training. In case of any questions or specific needs, please reach out to academy.training@esa.int to get assistance or advice during the application process.

To enhance the learning experience, students will actively engage in group exercises throughout the week to apply their newly acquired knowledge. Upon successful completion, participants will be awarded a certificate of participation and a course transcript, enabling them to request ECTS credit(s) from their respective universities.

How to apply

• Apply through ESA Learn, the ESA Education and Community Platform;
• Upload a motivation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, no images);
• Upload a CV (Europass format, PDF, maximum 2 pages, no images);
• Upload a formal recommendation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, including signature, no images) from a university professor or academic supervisor of current university (if it is not possible to receive the recommendation letter from your referee, please ask them to send a recommendation email to academy.training@esa.int before the application deadline);
• Upload a copy of your Transcript of Grades from the two previous semesters, or, if not available, the previous graded academic year (PDF).

All answers and documents should be in English (Transcript of Grades can be submitted in language of hosting university, if unavailable in English).

The deadline for applications is 17 May 2026 23:55 CEST.

*Canadian students enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution may apply for additional support from the Canadian Space Agency through this Announcement of Opportunity (grant applications must be submitted at least 7 weeks before the event start date – create an account as soon as possible!). This additional support is to cover costs that are not already covered by ESA for selected Canadian post-secondary students.

For more information, please contact academy.training@esa.int