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Space Studies Program

Your Gateway to Space

The Space Studies Program (SSP) offers an intensive nine-week course hosted each year in the timeframe June-August in different locations around the world. It provides courses in all space disciplines, as well as hands-on education through workshops and professional visits. This program offers a unique curriculum designed specifically for professionals starting or changing direction in their space careers.

The SSP is intended for people working in space-related fields who wish to broaden their knowledge base. During the SSP, participants work on team projects to address current and future challenges in the space sector. Since 1988, the SSP program exposes participants to broad new perspectives on the world’s space activities.

SPACE APPLICATIONS

HUMAN PERFORMANCE IN SPACE

SPACE HUMANITIES

SPACE POLICY, ECONOMICS, AND LAW

SPACE ENGINEERING

SPACE MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS

SPACE SCIENCES

Paola Breda

“I enrolled for ISU’s Space Studies Program 2021 in Strasbourg while changing my career from being an academic researcher to become a space propulsion engineer. The extraordinary people that I met, from young professionals to executives, contributed to my personal and professional growth. This experience boosted my career further into the NewSpace business. After SSP21, I started working as space licensing and system engineer at HyImpulse GmbH – currently working on the development of the sounding rocket and in-orbit propulsion systems.”

PAOLA BREDA, SSP21, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER AT HYIMPULSE​

  • World class speakers for lectures and workshops 
  • Networking and professional site visits 
  • Team projects where participants will tackle in groups real-world space challenges, applying the knowledge gained throughout the program
  • South Korea’s culture is not just about K-pop and sci-fi movies like “Space Sweepers”, it preserves a wealth of priceless cultural heritage such as The Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen sites, the majority have been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and vibrant legacy (including excellent food!), offering a delightful combination of tradition and modernity

Seoul, South Korea

June 30th - August 22nd 2025

The International Space University’s 37th Space Studies Program (SSP) will be held in Greater Seoul, South Korea from 30th June to 22nd August 2025.

The program will be hosted by two partners:

ISU President Nicolas Peter remarked:

“Though ISU’s Space Studies Program has been held in Asia before — in Japan (1992), Thailand (1999), and China (2007) — it has not returned to the region in the last 15 years and has never before been hosted in South Korea.” He continued, “The recent development of South Korea with the Nuri launcher, the Danuri lunar mission and the establishment of the Korean AeroSpace Administration (KASA) showcase the amazing space capabilities in the country”.

Professor Tai Sik LEE, president of KOFST stated:

“As Korea’s largest and most established science and technology (S&T) organization, KOFST represents a network that spans 13 regional federations and 19 overseas associations. Our members include academics, scientists, engineers, and other S&T professionals, comprising 600 organizations. Our extensive domestic and international connections make us an ideal leader to spearhead and promote ISU’s Space Studies Program.”

Registrations for ISU’s Space Studies Program SSP25 in Seoul, South Korea are now open, and scholarships will be awarded on merit and financial needs.

SSP Course Structure

The interdisciplinary curriculum of the SSP, with its emphasis on international cooperation, exposes participants to broad new perspectives on the world’s space activities – perspectives otherwise reserved for those with many years of diverse professional experience. The program is packed with a wide variety of activities, including lectures by renowned experts, hands-on activities and projects, team work and professional visits.

SSP PHASE 1

Phase I of the SSP curriculum ensures participants have a basic grounding in the fundamentals of all the disciplines that are relevant to space programs — and that they understand the rela­tionships between these disciplines in any space-related activity. All partic­ipants attend the core lecture series, which creates a basic framework of knowledge to prepare participants for informed and balanced judgment.

A series of lectures in each field of study that is designed primarily for non-experts is presented. Thus, med­ical specialists can understand the lec­tures on propulsion and engineers and lawyers can understand the lectures on the effects of weightlessness on the human body.

Core lectures are often grouped in clusters. Questions from participants and group discussions with the lectur­ers are encouraged.

Knowledge gained from the core lec­tures allows participants to:

  • Understand the very large range of factors, both technical and non-tech­nical, involved in space activity
  • Apply good decision-making and management skills to projects
  • Appreciate the relevance of all dis­ciplines during the development and exploitation of space activities

SSP Workshops are activities de­signed to enhance and complement the knowledge acquired during core lectures through more active learning in smaller groups. Participants choose activities based on their interests. A number of activities are conducted in parallel and participants must sign up in advance. Topics may be offered more than once so as many people as possible are able to benefit.

Workshop activities offered in SSP19 included:

  • Advanced communication skills
  • Design thinking
  • Space debris
  • Spacecraft sensing and instrumentation
  • Space, a new frontier for ethical interrogation
  • Media training and crisis communication
  • Robotics
  • Artificial gravity
  • Astronomy and Civilization : a look through time and space
  • Visit to l’Observatoire de Strasbourg
  • Business model canvas
  • Space business coo-petition
  • Stimulation and perturbation
  • Radar image processing
  • Startup pitching

SSP PHASE 2

Department activities encourage ex­change of knowledge, ideas and opin­ions through debate and discussion, as well as hands-on activities. De­partments have more time to go into greater depth with activities such as:

  • A seminar and discussion that go into greater depth following a core lecture
  • Visiting a space-related facility in the area
  • Building and operating very low frequency radio receivers
  • Remote sensing projects using local imagery and involving ground truthing
  • Examining barriers to technology transfer
  • Presentations by participants on their own work or interests
  • Building and launching a small rocket and payload
  • Hands-on experience with data systems or experimental hardware
  • Debates on space exploration’s impact on society

Department activities provide an im­portant opportunity for participants to interact with faculty members and lecturers and build their professional network. They also provide a means for participants to become sensitive to the cultural differences that govern personal interactions in a group set­ting and to adapt and develop presen­tation and negotiation skills in light of this cultural diversity.

The department chair will work with each participant to define a short ex­ercise or project as part of the depart­mental activities. These projects may be done individually or in small teams and include an oral presentation of professional research or a professional paper and presentation on current is­sues for a conference.

During the SSP, departments make professional visits to space agencies, companies, and space-related research institutes/universities. The activity varies based on the available local re­sources.

Some example of SSP19 professional visits and activities are:

  • CERN, Switzerland
  • European Astronaut Center (EAC), Germany
  • Institute of Space Systems of the University of Stuttgart, Germany
  • SES (Luxembourg)
  • European Space Operations Center (ESOC), Germany
  • iSpace, Luxembourg
  • Spire, Luxembourg
  • SEMIA incubator, France

SSP PHASE 3

In Phase III of the SSP, participants work in international, interdisciplinary and intercultural teams to produce a comprehensive analysis and proposals for an international space project or on a topic of relevance to the professional space sector. Participants choose one from multiple team project topics and work on that topic for the duration of the SSP. This element of the program has three main objectives:

  • To encourage participants to put into practice what they have brought from their own educational and/or professional background, plus knowl­edge and skills they learn from lec­tures, workshops and other presenta­tions during the SSP.
  • To experience decision-making and organizing work in sub teams. Also, to learn how to converge on solutions and recommendations while working in multidisciplinary and intercultur­al teams- where conflicting require­ments emerge and compromises must be made.
  • To produce a comprehensive report of professional level and present it in a public session at the end product of the team project. The report covers all aspects – technical, financial, organiza­tional, political, schedule and risk.

Many ISU reports have served as re­sources for the world space commu­nity (see the ISU Library Website for Team Project reports). The structure of team projects depends to some extent on their subject matter, but certain as­pects are common to all team projects:

  • An early phase of exploratory or brainstorming discussion of the project
  • A series of factual lectures specific to the team project topics Research and an intensive fact finding period
  • A challenging period of wrestling with different ways of organizing the study effort
  • Extensive opportunities to engage departmental faculty members and lecturers in discussion of team project issues
  • An interim presentation and review where expert advice and comments will be given
  • A period of very intense work to complete the final report.

“Growing up, being involved in space was just a childhood dream of mine. Attending the ISU was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of. Learning about such a broad range of topics alongside such talented individuals was an experience second to none. I would not be exaggerating to say that almost all of the fantastic opportunities I have received since attending are in some way due to the program, and for that I will always be grateful. To anyone looking to turn their childhood ambitions into a reality, the ISU is a must.”

JOHN TOOP-ROSE, SSP21, ALGORITHMIC ENGINEER AT HYPERGANIC GROUP

SSP Admissions

Applications for the Space Studies Program (SSP) 2025 will be processed in the order in which they are received. Only full applications will be considered.

Application deadlines:

31 October 2024
(for applicants in need of financial aid)

31 January 2025

30 April 2025
(final application deadline)

Early applications are recommended. Partial scholarships for candidates in need of financial aid will be granted on a first come first served basis until they run out.

More Info

In a typical SSP about 250 lecturers and experts academia from space agencies, industry and from all over the world provide instruction to the student body.

The SSP curriculum is coordinated by the Core, Department, and Team Project chairs and supported by members of the ISU Faculty.

Click here to view a list of invited lecturers and experts for SSP21.

Applications for the Space Studies Program (SSP) are processed through a rolling deadline system. Only full applications are considered, and candidates who miss a deadline will be evaluated after the following deadline.

Early applications are recommended, and partial scholarships for candidates in need of financial aid will be granted on a first come first served basis until they run out.

Application deadlines:

31 January 2024 (for applicants requesting scholarships and applicants in need of a visa for the USA), 30 April 2024 (final application deadline) 

www.isunet.edu/apply-online/

If you are interested in the online version of the SSP, please check our Digital Education page

Each participant’s academic performance is evaluated on the basis of:

  • Performance on the examination of the fundamental concepts of the core lecture series
  • Participation in departmental activities and the individ­ual or team assignment
  • Contribution to the team project

Participants are required to obtain a satisfactory evaluation in each of these three elements in order to obtain a Certifi­cate of Completion for the program.

The full fees for SSP24 are EUR 20,000.

Payment may also be made in US dollars at the inter-bank exchange rate on the date of payment.

This fee is inclusive of tuition, accommodation, and meals. Travel to and from the SSP host site and medical insurance are not included.

Host the SSP in your country!​

The International Space University (ISU) has organized the Space Studies Program (SSP) annually since 1987. The SSP is held in different countries around the world with an institution or consortium serving as its Host.

The program brings over 300 professionals representing 40+ countries for a duration of 8 weeks to the host country.

ISU is seeking proposals from interested organizations in serving as the host of the 38th, 39th, and 40th SSP which will be held in 2026, 2027, and 2028.

Past Programs