Supported by ESA’s Strategic Sustainability Office

Join us in the heart of Europe, at the International Space University’s central campus in Strasbourg, France, during the city’s famous Christmas market for an Executive Space Course dedicated to Sustainability in Space and on Earth.

Over the course of the week, ISU will welcome the Signatories of the Responsible Space Sector Statement, a short conference with academics and decision-makers from the UN, the EC,…, and gather ISU alumni, to discuss the hot topics of sustainable development of space activities and the benefits they bring to understand, reduce, and mitigate, the current environmental disruptions.

The course will offer access to experts on the sustainability of small and large European organisations, industry, and space agencies. It will include formal education about how space assets can assist your business or administration in handling environmental changes, propose new services to help others to do so, as well as a hands-on session to manipulate Earth observations to address a particular case study.

In the interdisciplinary mindset that characterizes ISU education, it will describe how the research on high-performance recycling systems used for crewed missions can inform ground-based solutions for all, what technical advances are taking place in Space Applications, what challenges operators and launchers face in Low-Earth Orbit, the legal constraints arise in Europe and beyond, how start-ups develop new solutions and benefit from dedicated funding opportunities.

What will I gain?

Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the scientific, technical, and policy impact that the space sector can have on Earth sustainability. They will explore how space reduces the environmental footprint of human and economic activities, while also addressing the sector’s own challenges: sustainability of operations in low-Earth orbit, planetary protection, and reduction of its environmental and societal footprint.

They will also interact with a unique network of European and international experts. In addition to ISU faculty and guest lecturers, the ISU campus will host the Plenary Session of the Responsible Space Sector Statement, a broad initiative led by ESA that unites over 100 signatory organizations promoting a sustainable and socially responsible space sector.

Methodology:

This intensive 4.5-day course immerses participants in ISU’s signature interdisciplinary, international, and intercultural learning environment, supported by ESA’s Strategic Sustainability Office.

The program blends lectures from leading experts, interactive workshops, and real-world case studies. Participants will examine the “footprint” and “handprint” of space, the science and technology enabling these contributions, and the diverse contexts—ground-based and space-based—where they occur.

One afternoon will be dedicated to the Space and Sustainability Conference co-organized by ESA and ISU, fostering dialogue among academics, industry leaders, and decision-makers on the social, environmental, and economic responsibilities of the space sector.

Why should your company send staff to this training? 

Sustainability has become a strategic imperative for companies, as regulations, stakeholder expectations, and technologies evolve rapidly in a complex international environment.

Upskilling staff on sustainability and its benefits is critical to improve performance and meet the demands of sponsors and investors. Employees who understand how space can reduce the environmental footprint of operations, while navigating regulatory frameworks, will be better equipped to propose new business opportunities and reduce legal or reputational risks related to environmental or societal impacts.

Speakers:

• Dr. Anwar Sounny-Slitine (ISU),

• Sabrina Alam (KPMG)

• Prof. Virginia Wotring
 (ISU)

• Dr. Giuseppe Ottavianelli (ESA)

• Dr. Jean-Claude Worms (COSPAR)

• Fani Kallianou de Jong (EBRD)

• Vera Pinto (EU DEFIS)

• Aravind Ravichandran (TerraWatch Space)

• Iliass Tanouti (Constellr)…