Training Future Opportunities
ESA/ELGRA Gravity Related Research Summer School
Deadline to apply: call closed
Course dates: 15-26 June 2026
The Summer School is designed in a blended format. In the first week, you will take part in a series of lectures and workshops held at the ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility located at ESEC-Galaxia in Transinne, Belgium. You will collaborate with fellow university students in dynamic team settings to brainstorm and develop new and exciting ideas for gravity-related experiments. In the second week, you will attend online sessions and work in teams to finally present your gravity-related experiment proposal on the last day of the Summer School! During the Summer School, you will have the possibility to engage with stimulating lectures led by renowned international experts who are members of ESA and/or ELGRA. You will benefit from their experience and expertise in gravity-related research across different disciplines and gain insights into the practical aspects of their day-to-day work.
Navigation Training Course
Deadline to apply: call closed
Course dates: 22-26 June 2026
Participants will gain a comprehensive introduction to Satellite Navigation, with a particular emphasis on Galileo. Designed by ESA experts who played a key role in developing the Galileo Space and Ground Segments, this training course will equip participants with essential knowledge of Galileo’s architecture, tools, services, and functionalities. The course will also address emerging topics such as LEO-PNT and Space Exploration (i.e. Moonlight). The course includes a mix of engaging lectures, hands-on group exercises, and a guided tour of key Galileo in-orbit test facilities at ESEC, which form a critical component of the current Galileo Ground Segment.
Disruptive Innovation and Commercialisation in Earth Observation Training Course
Deadline to apply: call closed
Course dates: 6-10 July 2026
ESA, with its pivotal programmes in Earth observation, such as the Sentinel missions and Copernicus services, stands at the heart of the Earth observation domain. Building on this, ESA's Disruptive Innovation and Commercialisation in Earth Observation Training Course integrates AI tools, cutting-edge technology, and entrepreneurial thinking through interactive lessons with experts and hands-on activities. Designed for university students with an engineering, science or business background, the course introduces participants to practical tools for analysing EO images using artificial intelligence. From basic business and coding principles to Foundation Models, participants dive into the latest trends across the full Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) scale. Its unique dual focus trains students not only in AI applied to Earth observation, but also in the business and commercialisation strategies necessary to turn innovative ideas into viable ventures. Organised in collaboration with ESA Φ-lab, the course is delivered through interactive lectures, group projects and hands-on activities.
Clean Space Training Course
Deadline to apply: Call closed
Course dates: 14-17 July 2026
Environmental awareness is increasingly important in every area of our modern world, and the space sector is no exception. 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. The Clean Space Training Course brings together selected participants for an intensive training programme focused on the integration of environmental sustainability into space mission design. 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 stages of a mission. The course culminates in a group project challenging students to apply their knowledge to a realistic mission scenario.
Spacecraft Testing Workshop
Deadline to apply: Call closed
Course dates: 31 August – 4 September 2026
Before a satellite can be trusted to function in the harsh environment of space, it must be rigorously tested on the ground. The Spacecraft Testing Workshop allows university students with an engineering and/or science background to dive into this crucial aspect of space missions while also complementing their academic curricula. Selected students 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. During the group project, students work in teams to prepare a real environmental test campaign — defining the test requirements and conditions, preparing the specifications and procedures, and assembling and testing dummy hardware. Students also have access to the CubeSat Support Facility, which includes an ISO-8 cleanroom, gaining first-hand experience of the standard ESA and industry approaches for the validation and verification of spacecraft.
Ladybird Guide to Spacecraft Operations Training Course
Deadline to apply: Call open until 28 June 2026
Course dates: 7-11 September 2026
When a spacecraft launches, the headlines fade but the real work begins. ESA Academy's Ladybird Guide to Spacecraft Operations Training Course offers an engaging introduction to spacecraft operations without excessive mathematics or technical jargon, tailored for university students exploring careers in the space sector. This course introduces students to the unique challenges of spacecraft operations and highlights how operating a spacecraft differs from designing it. The way specific subsystems of a spacecraft such as the Attitude, Determination and Control Subsystem (ADCS), Orbit Control System (OCS), Power, On Board Data Handling (OBDH), Telemetry, Telecommunication and Control (TT&C), Thermal and On Board Software have been designed has a bearing on the way operations are carried out and this is highlighted and discussed throughout the course. The course includes a session on the physiological traps to be avoided during operations and testing, and real stories of operational staff battling with wayward spacecraft sometimes winning and sometimes losing, are used throughout. Taught by an experienced engineer from the Operations Department of ESA ESOC, the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, the course combines formal lectures with a strong focus on student interaction.
Space Debris Training Course
Deadline to apply: Call open until 12 July 2026
Course dates: 21-25 September 2026
Space debris is a hazard to our satellites and spacecraft as well as a contributor to near-Earth space pollution. Participating university students will learn about the space debris environment, specific mitigation technologies, future challenges such as large satellite constellations, how debris impacts spacecraft operations, as well as potential future solutions. Taught by ESA experts as well as external experts in the sector, the course is delivered through formal technical lectures complemented by hands-on exercises based on a real-life case study. This training course is a collaboration between ESA's Education Office and ESA's Space Debris Office, based at ESOC, which coordinates ESA's research activities in all major debris disciplines — including measurements, modelling, protection, and mitigation. Students work together throughout the week on a group project, applying their newly acquired knowledge to a realistic operational scenario.
Earth Observation Satellite System Design Training Course
Deadline to apply: Call open until 14 June 2026
Course dates: 28 September – 9 October 2026 (on-site and online)
Earth Observation satellites are vital for a sustainable future, providing essential data on vegetation, water resources, natural disasters, and climate change. The Earth Observation Satellite Systems Design Training Course is a practice-oriented course in which students become familiar with the end-to-end design process of an Earth observation satellite system. Beginning with the definition of mission objectives and corresponding requirements, the course guides participants through key engineering decisions including orbit trade-offs, the design of optical and microwave payload instruments, overall satellite architecture, ground segment design and operations, as well as verification, testing, and in-orbit validation. Students apply their knowledge through a collaborative group project structured as a step-by-step Earth Observation system design challenge, with each team member taking responsibility for a specific engineering discipline, such as system engineering, microwave instrument sizing, optical instrument design, satellite architecture, or ground segment and operations. The course is delivered over two weeks: the first on-site at ESEC-Galaxia, Belgium, and the second online.
Access to Space Training Course
Deadline to apply: Call open until 12 July 2026
Course dates: 19-23 October 2026
Without space transportation, space exploration would not exist. There would be no iconic view of our Pale Blue Dot from deep space, no orbital observations of Earth's changing climate, no asteroid samples or strategies to deflect them. No planetary flybys. No human spaceflight, and no exploration of the Moon, Mars or other celestial bodies. Organised by ESA Academy in collaboration with the ESA Space Transportation Directorate, this course explores how and why the European Space Agency is ensuring Europe's autonomous and reliable access to space. Through a combination of expert lectures, team exercises, and a group project, participants gain a comprehensive understanding of launch vehicles, space transportation policy, and the strategic importance of independent access to space for Europe's future.
CubeSat Hands-On Training Week
Deadline to apply: Call open until 19 July 2026
Course dates: 26-30 October 2026
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. Students will have the opportunity to perform experiments on Educational Satellites (ESAT) and learn how subsystems work and interact with each other. 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.
Space Systems Engineering Training Course
Deadline to apply: call not open yet
Course dates: 2-6 November 2026
Space Systems Engineering holds immense significance within the space industry, playing a pivotal role in the success of any space mission, be it a student-crafted CubeSat or a commercial communications satellite. Space Systems Engineers take charge of space projects, guiding them from inception to completion — collaborating with diverse fields to define user needs, establish requirements, and craft the ultimate design. They take charge of the technical aspects of space projects, guiding them from inception to completion, shaping the ultimate architecture before supporting the project through assembly, integration and testing into operation. During the course, students learn about the background and challenges of space systems engineering, before delving into the roles of a systems engineer within ESA, and exploring the system engineering process in detail. The course also gives students valuable insight into concurrent design and systems approaches to verification and validation, as well as the interactions with project management, including project planning and risk management.
Mission Success through Product Assurance Training Course
Deadline to apply: call not open yet
Course dates: 16-20 November 2026
Product Assurance (PA) engineers play a critical role in mission implementation. They are responsible for ensuring that the design is robust and reliable, and that the product is compliant with the mission, system and product assurance requirements. Their work also includes verifying that materials, mechanical parts, processes, and electrical components used in spacecraft and launchers are suitable for their intended function. Developed in collaboration with ESA's Product and Quality Assurance Department, this course equips participants with an understanding of how PA is implemented in a space project, not only within ESA but also across the wider space industry. Delivered through expert lectures and practical exercises, the course is open to both university students and early-career professionals with a background or interest in product assurance.
Post Alpbach Summer School Event
Deadline to apply: call open to Alpbach Summer School students only
Course dates: 23-27 November 2026
The Alpbach Summer School is one of Europe's most prestigious forums for young space scientists and engineers. The Summer School Alpbach is complemented by the Post-Alpbach Summer School Event, a five-day event that takes place at ESA Academy's Training and Learning Facility at ESEC-Galaxia in Belgium. During this event, students from the Alpbach Summer School design further one of the missions developed during the Summer School using the Concurrent Engineering approach. The mission is selected at the end of the Summer School by the Alpbach Summer School Jury, and all students who participated in the Summer School are invited to apply for the Post-Alpbach Summer School Event. When applying, students have the opportunity to indicate the three domains of expertise in which they have the best knowledge. Selected students are divided into teams to cover the different disciplines of the mission, guided by ESA Systems Engineers and tutors from the Summer School.
Human Space Physiology Training Course
Deadline to apply: call not open yet
Course dates: 30 November - 4 December 2026
Understanding how the human body responds to spaceflight is essential for the success of crewed missions. Through lectures, students discover how spaceflight represents a significant physiological challenge to the human body. Having evolved in Earth's gravity, our bodies adapt when in microgravity and some of these adaptations may affect astronaut health and wellbeing, both in flight and upon return to Earth. In this course, university students explore the effects of microgravity and space environments on human physiology, covering topics such as bone and muscle loss, cardiovascular adaptation, sensorimotor disturbances and more. Under the guidance of ESA and external experts, participants gain insights into how these challenges are studied and mitigated. Topics range from the history of human spaceflight and the future of human exploration, to how medical operations are provided to European astronauts on the International Space Station, including exercise countermeasures, and how key areas of space physiology research are conducted both in orbit and using ground-based analogues.
Space Policy in Action
Deadline to apply: call not open yet
Course dates: 7-11 December 2026
This five-day course aims to provide comprehensive insights into ESA's history, from its foundations with ESRO and ELDO to its current role in space exploration, education, and international cooperation. Participants explore key topics such as the evolution of European space policy, the legal implications of space exploration, the importance of ESA's role in public communication, and the future challenges and opportunities for space. The course also features a mock ministerial exercise, giving participants a hands-on understanding of space policy discussions. Developed in collaboration between the ESA Education Office, the Director General Cabinet, and the Directorate of Strategy, Legal and External Affairs, this course is aimed at students from social science backgrounds including sociology, economics, business, political sciences, international relations, history and law.
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