Two-Month Intensive Program Offers Participants Unique Networking Opportunities

The International Space University (ISU) is proud to announce that the 31st annual Space Studies Program (SSP) session will convene in the Netherlands during the summer of 2018.

The program will be hosted by the Netherlands Space Office (NSO), in collaboration with three leading Dutch space organizations: the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Leiden University and ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA-ESTEC) in Noordwijk. Combined, these institutes represent the best in European space research, engineering, technology, operations and policy.
 
The Netherlands offers the world unique space technologies and applications. One good example of Dutch space technology is the Tropomi earth observation instrument that will provide an image of air quality of the entire world every day, due for launch early 2016. Many European space missions would not exist without Dutch space technology. Dutch scientists also play a leading role in international space missions, unlocking the secrets of the universe.
 
The Netherlands is home to ESA-ESTEC, a flourishing space sector and world leading research institutes and universities, making it a perfect place to gather the world’s most promising space professionals for the ISU Space Studies Program in 2018.
 
“Space is increasingly important for society worldwide. I think the Netherlands is an excellent place for educating the next generation of space professionals," Dr. Ger Nieuwpoort, Director of NSO, said in a news release. "I am proud that we can host SSP18 and look forward to an inspiring summer of 2018.”

"ISU is excited to bring its Space Studies Program to The Netherlands in 2018," said SSP Director John Connolly.  The historical academic reputations of Delft and Leiden Universities, combined with their excellent modern facilities will provide the academic foundation for SSP.  The partnership with ESTEC will further strengthen ISU's ties to ESA, and will offer a venue where the SSP participants can witness today's theories and technologies becoming tomorrow's space missions."

Prof. Dr. Hester Bijl, Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering TU Delft comments: “I think it’s great that the summer of 2018 will be a sizzling summer of space here in our region. Bringing together the ISU, the many smart and enthusiastic space professionals participating in the summer school program, and the multidisciplinary community of space scientists, engineers and businesses at TU Delft and our partners, will lead to valuable new knowledge and networks. Together we can show the world how relevant and exciting space technology is.”

The SSP is an intense two month program which offers participants a unique and comprehensive professional development experience, covering all aspects of space programs and enterprises. Disciplines highlighted include space physical sciences, space engineering, space policy, economics and law, space management and business, space and the humanities, space applications, and human performance in space. The program targets young as well as seasoned professionals from all disciplines and coming from all around the world, as well as post-graduate university students. Team projects allow participants to refine a space-related topic as a team, and also produce professional
quality reports and final presentations, all in the span of a few weeks.

Every summer the SSP takes place in a different location around the world. Recent sessions have convened in Beijing, at the NASA Ames Research Center, in Melbourne (FL), at ETS and HEC in Montreal, and at Ohio University. In 2016 the SSP will take place in Haifa, Israel, in collaboration with Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology. In 2017 the program will be hosted by the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) in Cork, Ireland.

(Image provided with ISU news release)

FMI: www.isunet.edu