International Space University - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

International Space University

The International Space University is a private university founded in 1987. The University currently offers three degree granting programs — Master of Science in Space Management, Master of Science in Space Studies and Executive MBA — in addition to a non-degree-granting Space Studies Program.The...

is a private university founded in 1987. The University currently offers three degree granting programs — Master of Science in Space Management, Master of Science in Space Studies and Executive MBA — in addition to a non-degree-granting Space Studies Program.

The permanent campus of the International Space University

International Space University

is located in Illkirch-Graffenstaden

Illkirch-Graffenstaden

-Geography:The larger adjacent communes, like Illkirch-Graffenstaden, are effectively outer suburbs of the Strasbourg conurbation. These include Strasbourg-Meinau, Ostwald and Geispolsheim...

near Strasbourg

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. The permanent campus hosts the students in both Masters' programs, while the Space Studies Program is held in a different location around the world each year. The ISU was founded on the "3-I" philosophy to create an Interdisciplinary, Intercultural and International environment for study and training as a Space professional. Since 1987, ISU has graduated over 3200 students from 100 countries from the Space Studies Program and the Masters Programs.

The ISU faculty members include former astronauts and cosmonauts, spacecraft engineers, scientists, managers, scientists and experts in space law and policy. Faculty members are experts in both technical and non-technical fields relevant to space and come from countries all around the world to stay true to the international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary nature of ISU’s programs.

The Chancellor of the International Space University

International Space University

is the Director General of the European Space Agency

European Space Agency

The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...

Jean-Jacques Dordain

Jean-Jacques Dordain is the current Director General of the European Space Agency and has held the position since 2003....

. Dordain succeeded the University's first Chancellor, Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke

Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...

, in 2004. The fifth President of the International Space University

International Space University

is Prof. Walter Peeters, who took office in 2011.

History

Three young space enthusiasts created in 1985 a foundation, called the Space Generation, dedicated to helping foster a sense of identity for those people born since the start of the Space Era .

The founders were Peter Diamandis

Peter Diamandis

Dr. Peter H. Diamandis , of Greek immigrant parents, is considered a key figure in the development of the personal spaceflight industry, having created many space-related businesses or organizations...

, a medical doctor with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering; Todd Hawley, a graduate from the famous Space Policy Institute at George Washington University

George Washington University

The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...

, and Bob Richards

Bob Richards

The Reverend Robert Eugene Richards, known as Bob Richards , known as the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was a versatile athlete who made three Olympic teams in two events...

, an engineer and physicist, and former assistant of the well-known astrophysicist Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan

Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...

.

They generated a series of novel ideas from which a ‘Space University’ was one of the best received ones. It got the support of a number of important personalities in the space field such as Prof. U.R. Rao president from the Indian Space Research Organization, Dr. Harrison Schmitt, an Apollo 17

Apollo 17

Apollo 17 was the eleventh and final manned mission in the American Apollo space program. Launched at 12:33 a.m. EST on December 7, 1972, with a three-member crew consisting of Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 remains the...

astronaut and former senator, Dr. O’Neill from the Space Studies Institute, space pioneer Prof. H. Oberth and Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke

, the visionary writer along with many others.

This initiative was further developed and presented to a broader audience and lead to a 3 days event at MIT (April 10-12, 1987) with the formal creation of the International Space University

International Space University

. The date was evidently chosen to commemorate the first human spaceflight of Yuri Gagarin

Yuri Gagarin

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....

(12 April 1961) and one of the strong ISU supporters, Arthur C. Clark, worded its creation as follows:

The first universities helped to bring mankind out of the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance. They demonstrated a potential to unshackle the minds and spirits of the people of their time. In our day, there are few institutions which satisfy any higher individual aspirations or greater interests of humanity. The International Space University

International Space University

may well become an essential cornerstone in leading humanity ahead in space and on Earth in the century to come.

The first Summer Session Program was developed based upon this success, and with the help of major space agencies, and took place at MIT in the period 20 June 1988 – 20 August 1988. The artwork for the first brochure was made by the well-known artist Pat Rawling.

The resulting International Space University

International Space University

is an international institution of higher learning, dedicated to the development of outer space for peaceful purposes through international and multidisciplinary education and research programs (ISU Bylaws, Art 2.1). The International Space University

International Space University

(ISU), as a dynamic institution of higher education, is therefore dedicated to the creation, expansion, exchange and dissemination of knowledge and ideas related to Space and Space Activities.

It has been established as a 501 © 3 non-profit educational organization in the State of Massachusetts in the USA. Following an international competition for the establishment of its Central Campus, ISU moved in 1994 in the Urban Community of Strasbourg

Strasbourg

, France

France

. It is presently a non-profit educational institution registered in Alsace (France), and still registered in the USA as a 501 © 3 non-profit educational organization. The members of ISU, called the “Governing Members”, are international organizations, industries, Space Agencies, Academic Institutions and individual members.

ISU Headquarters are located at Illkirch-Graffenstaden

Illkirch-Graffenstaden

-Geography:The larger adjacent communes, like Illkirch-Graffenstaden, are effectively outer suburbs of the Strasbourg conurbation. These include Strasbourg-Meinau, Ostwald and Geispolsheim...

in the Urban Community of Strasbourg

Strasbourg

in brand new facilities, specially built by the French Government, the Region Alsace, the Department of Bas-Rhin and the Urban Community of Strasbourg

Urban Community of Strasbourg

The Urban Community of Strasbourg , also known by its French initials CUS, is the intercommunal structure gathering the city of Strasbourg and some of its suburbs....

. It is part of a complex gathering parts of University Louis Pasteur, of University Robert Schuman and High Tech Industries.

Over the evolution, however, ISU’s mission and vision have remained unchanged:

The “International Space University

International Space University

is founded on the vision of a peaceful, prosperous and boundless future through the study, exploration and development of Space for the benefit of all humanity. ISU is an institution dedicated to international cooperation, collaboration and open, scholarly pursuits related to outer space exploration and development. It is a place where students and faculty from all backgrounds are welcomed; where diversity of culture, philosophy, lifestyle, training and opinion are honored and nurtured” (ISU Credo §2 and 3, Peter Diamandis

Peter Diamandis

, Todd B. Hawley

Todd B. Hawley

Todd B. Hawley was one of the three founders of the International Space University and a lifelong advocate of human space exploration...

, Robert D. Richards

Robert D. Richards

Robert D. Richards is a Canadian-born space entrepreneur. He is co-founder and CEO of Moon Express, Inc., a U.S. company awarded a $10M commercial lunar contract by NASA and a competitor in the Google Lunar X PRIZE...

, ISU Founders).
The vision of ISU is therefore:

to be the preeminent institution for interdisciplinary, international and intercultural space education and research that
- develops and inspires future space leaders and professionals, in particular by delivering innovative programs, both on and off the Earth,
- contributes to the creation, expansion, exchange and dissemination of knowledge and ideas;
to constitute a worldwide community that is a collaborative network of broadly educated and visionary space professionals;
to enable, with its community, the exploration, development and peaceful use of space for the improvement of life on Earth and the advancement of humanity into space.

And the resulting mission of ISU:

to develop the future leaders of the world space community by providing interdisciplinary educational programs to students and space professionals in an international and intercultural environment.
to serve also as a neutral international forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas about challenging issues related to space and applications.
to deliver programs that impart critical knowledge and skills essential to future space initiatives in the public and private sectors while they inspire enthusiasm, promote international understanding and cooperation, and foster an interactive global network of students, teachers and alumni;
to encourage the innovative development of space for peaceful purposes so as to improve life on Earth and enable the advancement of humanity into space.

In order to meet these challenges and to keep in breath with the rapid changes in Space, ISU questioned the Space Sector on its evolving needs in Education. A survey on Space Training and Education was performed at the end of 1996: A questionnaire was sent to the Human Resource/Personnel/Training Departments within 158 organizations in space-related agencies or industries in 17 Countries worldwide.

An international workshop was held in Strasbourg

Strasbourg

8-9 December 1996 on “Strategies for Training Space Professionals”. During this workshop, 40 participants from 9 countries answered the following questions: Given the trend in the environment, what are the three biggest training and development needs and challenges? What are the most viable options in training and development to meet these requirements? The participants coming from industry (about 1/3), government (about 1/3) and Academia (about 1/3), and representing small, medium and large organizations, could give significant responses.

A Space Education Questionnaire seeking input on how to proceed to improve higher education programs, professional development and Training Offerings in the field of Space, was circulated in January 1997 to Space Agencies, Space Industries, foundations and academic institutions. In order to digest al the information gathered, ISU and the Space Agency Forum organized at ISU in May 1997 a workshop on Space Education. It was followed the same year by an IAF/ISU workshop on education held during the IAF Congress at Turin in 1997. The year after, in cooperation with the Space and Education Committee of IAF and the SAF, ISU organized, during the International Astronautical Congress at Melbourne in September 1998, a world workshop on education. This workshop allowed more than 60 participants to discuss what skill-sets and abilities are now required in the Space Sector, How are educational institutions responding to these needs, and what is the best balance between initial basic education and career-long educational renewal.

The needs that emerged from all these inquiries reinforced the vision of ISU and provided the hints to better adjust its mission, its pedagogy and the goals and contents of its programs to these needs.

The space world represents a rapid changing environment and, in order to comply with its needs, educational programs require regular adjustments. On the basis of a new inquiry in 2002, a new number of industry needs were expressed and evaluated. As these needs revealed a large number of new requirements for lectures and workshops, as well as more hands-on activities, two measures were taken:

Creation of two parallel streams, one more technical/scientific oriented and one more management/policy oriented.
The program was extended from eleven to twelve months.

After detailed examination of the programs offered, official accreditation from the French Government was obtained in 2004 (decree MENS0400386A of 27 February 2004).

In line with its increasing international recognition, the International Space University

International Space University

has permanent observer status, since 1998, with the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was established in 1958 as an ad hoc committee...

(COPUOS) of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs is an organization of the General Assembly charged with implementing the Assembly's outer space-related policies. It is located in the United Nations Office in Vienna. The Office implements the Program on Space Applications and maintains the...

. ISU was also granted full membership of the Space Agency Forum (SAF) in 1995 at the 3rd meeting of the Forum, held in Oslo.

Furthermore, ISU is a member of the International Astronautical Federation

International Astronautical Federation

International Astronautical Federation , the world's foremost space advocacy organisation, is based in Paris. It was founded in 1951 as a non-governmental organization. It has 206 members from 58 countries across the world. They are drawn from space agencies, industry, professional associations,...

(IAF). It has been invited to contribute to several other international activities. They include Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF), IAF Specialists’ Symposium – “Bringing Space into Education”, World Space Workshop on Education, National Science Week Steering Committee, etc…

The milestones of ISU’s – short – history are recapitulated in table 1.

Date	Milestone
1987	ISU Founding Conference and Incorporation in USA
1988	First Summer Session at MIT in Cambridge Cambridge The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the... , Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
1993	Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,... Selected as Location for ISU Central Campus
1993	First Affiliate Conference, Huntsville Huntsville Huntsville is the name of several places:CanadaHuntsville, OntarioUnited StatesHuntsville, Alabama, the largest city with this name.Huntsville, ArkansasHuntsville, Connecticut*Huntsville, Illinois / Huntsville Township, Schuyler County, Illinois... , USA
1994	ISU Relocates to Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,... and Incorporates in Alsace Alsace Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
1995	First Master in Space Studies (MSS) Program based in Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
1996	First Short Programs (Symposium, Workshops and PDP)
2000	Groundbreaking for ISU Central Campus Building
2002	Official Opening of ISU Central Campus Building
2003	First Introductory Space Course (ISC) held in Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
2004	Official Accreditation by the French Ministry of Education
2004	First Master of Space Management (MSM) Program
2009	Start of Executive Space MBA (EMBA)

Campus

Initially ISU was created in a geographically delocalized way, with sessions in alternating countries. In 1994 the decision was taken to establish a central campus. Based upon the proposals received Strasbourg

Strasbourg

in Alsace

Alsace

Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...

, France

France

, with its international vocation and cosmopolitan character, was chosen as location. The first permanent M.Sc. classes (then labeled M.S.S.) took place in offices put at the disposal by the local university.

Since 2002 ISU is located in its own building thanks to the support of the local authorities.
The campus is located in the Parc d’innovation d’Illkirch in Illkirch-Graffenstaden

Illkirch-Graffenstaden

-Geography:The larger adjacent communes, like Illkirch-Graffenstaden, are effectively outer suburbs of the Strasbourg conurbation. These include Strasbourg-Meinau, Ostwald and Geispolsheim...

, in the southern part of Strasbourg

Strasbourg

urban Community less than 30 minutes from the city by public transport.

However, many activities such as the Space Studies Program (SSP) and modules of the EMBA are still given at alternating locations to stress the international character of ISU.

Organisation and Administration

ISU's organizational structure includes a Board of Advisors, chaired by the Chancellor, and a Board of Trustees elected by the Governing Membership of the ISU. The Board of Trustees determines ISU's overall objectives, oversees the University's affairs and appoints the ISU President. The President is supported by an Executive Committee, Academic Staff (who prepare and deliver ISU programs) and Administrative Staff (responsible for the daily operation of the Institution). The Academic Staff are led by the Dean, who is supported by staff responsible for ISU's academic programs (Masters and SSP) and library services. The Academic Council of ISU is responsible for ensuring the academic quality of ISU's teaching and research activities. ISU academic staff include a number of Resident Faculty, augmented by other Faculty and Lecturers as needed for the programs.

Academics

Since its founding in 1987, ISU has graduated more than 3000 students from 100 countries. Together with hundreds of ISU faculty and lecturers from around the world, ISU alumni comprise an extremely effective network of space professionals and leaders that actively facilitates individual career growth, professional activities and international space cooperation.

Committed to excellence in space education, ISU offers, with the support of the world space community and within an international and intercultural environment, specific interdisciplinary post-graduate programs in Space Studies. These graduate programs prepare professionals of all sectors to meet the present and future challenges of international space cooperation, as well as the challenges implied by the restructuring of the Space Sector.

Programs offered by ISU are dedicated to the future career development of graduate students and professionals from all nations seeking advancement in space-related fields. Tailored to the needs of postgraduates and professionals in the Space sector or those who wish to work in this sector, ISU offers two kinds of programs:

1- Programs delivered each year on a regular basis:

Three graduate programs:
- A twelve-months Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Space Studies (MSS)
- A twelve-months Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Space Management (MSM)
- An Executive MBA program
A two-months Space Studies Program (SSP)
An Executive Space Course:
- A one-week course providing a basic introduction to space topics.

2- Short programs:
Delivered on demand and/or to respond to a specific need, these programs include: Professional Development Programs, Workshops, Short courses, and Forums

Participation in International Space University

International Space University

Programs is open to individuals and institutions of all nationalities. As an open academic forum, ISU welcome open and free discussions within its network respecting its Code of Conduct and Ethics.

Academic Programs

In order to meet the needs expressed by industry, the pedagogy aims at giving each ISU student

An understanding of the interactions between all the space-related disciplines, leading to a coherent view of the Space and Space related activities, understood as a complex system;
An appreciation of global perspective, and of the challenges presented by the international character of space activities and their applications, including the differences in method and logic which underlie planning and decisions, largely influenced by cultural and disciplinary backgrounds.

In addition, the pedagogy reinforces active participation of the students, and hands-on exercises, in order to give them the ability:

to make appropriate decisions at the appropriate time, using critical thinking and foresight,
to understand the methods of working and of management in various countries,
to lead international teams and to manage international projects by taking care of the different cultural approaches, the political and legal implications and the budgetary and financial issues,
to communicate with the different partners and the public, and to bridge industrial, governmental and academic perspectives.

Master of Science Programs

Master of Science in Space Studies (M.S.S.) and Master of Science in Space Management (M.S.M.) are graduate-level degree programs designed for individuals seeking professional development or further academic study. This advanced professional degree course entails twelve months of highly intensive graduate study, which include a three-month professional internship and several trips and visits of professional interest.

The main elements of the programs are:

a balanced series of lectures covering all major disciplines related to space, with workshops and roundtables,
a series of lectures on contemporary space-related issues and events which as a whole provide an interdisciplinary and intercultural education,
Team Design Projects involving most, if not all, of those disciplines,
Individual Projects performed during the academic year and during an internship period,
Professional visits and participation to ISU Annual Symposium,
Skill training.

Past ISU Masters Programs

Year	MSS/MSM	Team Projects
2010-2011	Both MSS and MSM offered	KOUROU vision 2030:Human Spaceflights from the Kourou Spaceport SHINE: Space for a Health Information Network on Earth
2009-2010	Both MSS and MSM offered	MAP: Mars Analog Path CATCH:: A space-based solution for illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing
2008-2009	Both MSS and MSM offered	Climate LINKS: A terrestrial data collection network complementing satellite observations Space and responsive systems
2007-2008	Both MSS and MSM offered	ALERTS: Analysis of Lunar Exploratory Robotic Tasks for Safety Great Expectations: Assessing the potential for suborbital transportation
2006-2007	Both MSS and MSM offered	Full Moon: Storage & delivery of oxygen and hydrogen START: Space Tools supporting Archaeological Research and Tasks
2005-2006	Both MSS and MSM offered	SWORD: Space Weather Observation, Research and Distribution FERTILE Moon: Feasibility of Extraction of Resources and Toolkit for in-situ Lunar Exploration
2004-2005	Both MSS and MSM offered	Visysphere Mars: Terraforming meets engineered life adaptation SAOTEC: Space Aid for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
2003-2004	Only MSS offered	Human missions to Europa and Titan - Why not? SPIN: Space-based Progressive Interoperable Networks
2002-2003	Only MSS offered	P.A.T.H. - M: Program Advancing Towards Humans on Mars Navigation systems for future space vehicles: Requirements and recommendations
2001-2002	Only MSS offered	Virtual EVA: A ground option for space tourism Charting response options for threatening near earth object
2000-2001	Only MSS offered	ISIS: ISU Small Satellite Interdisciplinary Survey PISCES: Proposal for International Spacecraft Cooperation for Education and Science
1999-2000	Only MSS offered	ALTV: Autonomous Lunar Transport Vehicle
1998-1999	Only MSS offered	Open for business: A new approach to commercialisation of the ISS
1997-1998	Only MSS offered	THIRD EYE: An aircraft collision prevention tele-service
1996-1997	Only MSS offered	MISSION: Multi-mission Innovative Space System for an Information Optimized Network
1995-1996	Only MSS offered	SAND: Space Assisted Network against Desertification

Executive MBA

The Executive MBA (E.M.B.A.) program was created on request of the space industry and, in particular, space operators. The purpose is to provide middle-management, hi-potential professionals a deeper knowledge in financial and economic principles guiding both industry and space organizations. In order to do so a mixture of classical MBA elements has been added a more specific space related business curriculum.

The program covers 18 months and is divided in 2 weeks modules. Participants come from a wide variety of organizations, reinforcing the networking effect, organizations such as:

SES
SES
-In business and economics:* Senior Executive Service* SES, callsign of the TV station SES/RTS * SES S.A., a group management company for various satellite companies, including:...
ESA
CNES
CNES
The is the French government space agency . Established under President Charles de Gaulle in 1961, its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defence and Research...
Eumetsat
Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space is an aerospace company born after the Thales Group bought the participation of Alcatel in the two joint-ventures between Alcatel and Finmeccanica, Alcatel Alenia Space and Telespazio.-History:...
Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
etc.

Space Studies Program

The ISU Space Studies Program (SSP) is an intensive 9-weeks academic experience at the post-graduate level, dedicated to teaching the international, interdisciplinary and intercultural aspects of the exploration and development of space for peaceful purposes. It provides an overview of international space activities. The interdisciplinary curriculum opens the students to new perspectives on the world’s space activities.

All the major space-related disciplines are studied through interaction with an international faculty, eminent in their respective fields. This, in combination with the team work of a Design Project, broadens the participants' knowledge beyond that of their original specialization and gives them a greatly improved awareness and understanding of all space related activities.

Presently, the SSP curriculum comprises:

a Core Lecture Series giving all the student a common fundamental knowledge on Space, Space programs and Space related activities,
Theme days presenting keys/issues of Space with an interdisciplinary approach,
a Distinguished Lecture Series, giving the point of view or presenting the experience of persons who have made outstanding contributions to Space and/or space-related activities,
Faculty/Student workshops, giving students the opportunity to discuss with faculty problems of their interest or to have practical applications of the knowledge given in the lectures,
Individual assignments performed under the supervision of the Faculty in the frame of a Department,
a Design Project, performed within an international team of students and giving each of them the opportunity to learn and practice team-working and project management in the design of a phase A project,
Experience in different cultures and problem solving approach within departmental activities and Design Project Teams.

Future Space Studies Programs

2013: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
National Institute for Space Research
The National Institute for Space Research is a research unit of the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology, whose main goals are fostering scientific research and technological applications and qualifying personnel in the fields of space and atmospheric sciences, space engineering, and space...
2012: NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...

Past Space Studies Programs, Locations and Team Projects

Year	Location	Team Projects
2011	Graz, Austria Graz The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...	CHARM: Cooperation of Humans and Robots for Mars GO SSP: Guidebook On Small Satellite Programs H2OPE: Tigris-Euphrates and the global water crisis
2010	Strasbourg, France Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...	ecoSpace: Initiatives for environmentally sustainable launch activities ASTRA: Asteroid mining RE-FOCUS: Carbon cycle
2009	NASA Ames Research Center, United States	ACCESS Mars: Assessing Cave Capabilities Establishing Specific Solutions SAFEN EARTH: Space Aid for Energy Needs on Earth DREAM: Disaster Risk Evaluation And Management
2008	Barcelona, Spain Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...	FuturIST: Future Infrastructure for Space Transportation VAPOR: An integrated Framework for Early Warning and Hazard Tracking of Volcanic Activity on Earth Noumenia: building on the Google Lunar X prize
2007	Beijing, China Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...	Space Traffic Management: Manage spacecrafts and debris in space DOCTOR: Developing On-Orbit Servicing Concepts Technology Options and Roadmap Phoenix: Lunar Biological and Historical Archive TREMOR: Technology Resources for Earthquake Monitoring and Response
2006	Strasbourg, France Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...	Luna Gaia: A closed loop habitat for the Moon MiNI: From Tiny to Infinity SOL: Earth Observation Systems for Small Countries and Regions
2005	Vancouver, Canada Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...	FLAMA: Fire Logistics And Management Approach CASSANDRA: A strategy to protect our planet from near-earth objects REVOLUTION: robotic exploration of Venus to study planetary evolution
2004	Adelaide, Australia Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...	CONNECTS: The role of satellite communications in the development of rural and remote regions STREAM: Space Technologies for the Research of Effective wAter Management LunAres: International Lunar exploration in preparation for Mars
2003	Strasbourg, France Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...	Ecosphere: Earth Climate Observation System Promoting Human Ecological Research & Education TRACKS TO SPACE: Technology Research Advancing Cooperative Knowledge Sharing to Space METZTLI: An International Space Station Approach to Lunar Exploration
2002	Pomona, United States Pomona, California -2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...	Alone?: A Source book for Astrobiology HI-STAR: Health Improvement using Space Technology and Resources
2001	Bremen, Germany Bremen The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...	C.A.S.H. 2021: Commercial Access and Space Habitation CASSIOPEE: Concepts for Advanced Small Satellites to Improve Observation and Preservation of Europe
2000	Valparaíso, Chile Valparaíso Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...	ENSO: A Global Challenge and Keys to a Solution Space Tourism: from Dream to Reality
1999	Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand Nakhon Ratchasima Nakhon Ratchasima or is a city in the north-east of Thailand and gateway to Isan. It is the capital of the Nakhon Ratchasima Province and Nakhon Ratchasima district...	Out of the Cradle: an international strategy for human exploration away from Earth SEADS: South East Asia Disaster Management System
1998	Cleveland, United States Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...	Magic: Moving Aside Gravity's Influence and Constraints Hazards to Spaceflight
1997	Houston, United States Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...	International Strategies for the Exploration of Mars Technology Transfer: Bridging Space and Society
1996	Vienna, Austria Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...	Ra: The Sun For Science And Humanity DOCC: Distant Operational Care Centre
1995	Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...	Earth's Polar Regions: Observation, Protection, and Applications Vision 2020: An International View of the Future
1994	Barcelona, Spain Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...	Global Access Tele-Health and Education System (GATES) Solar System Exploration (SSE)
1993	Huntsville, United States Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....	Global Emergency Observation and Warning (Geowarn) International Lunar Farside Observatory & Science Station (ILFOSS)
1992	Kitakyushu, Japan	ISUNET Space Solar Power Program (SSPP)
1991	Toulouse, France Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...	International Mars Mission
1990	Toronto, Canada Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...	International Asteroid Mission (IAM) International program for Earth observations
1989	Strasbourg, France Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...	Artemis: a program to identify and map Lunar resources Newton: a variable gravity research facility
1988	Cambridge, United States Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...	International Lunar Initiative Organization

Executive Space Course (ESC)

The Executive Space Course, taught in English, provides an overview of space and of space-related subjects for professionals of diverse backgrounds, including marketing, finance, law, and contracts management. Providing them with a better understanding of space technology and business, professionals leave with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to communicate more effectively with their technical colleagues. The course also provides its participants with exposure to a unique interdisciplinary, international and intercultural learning environment.

Library

Since 1995 that the International Space University

International Space University

has a library on campus, the collection has grown to reach about 9000 space-related documents. The collection supports the interdisciplinary aspects of the courses and covers subjects like space-related business and management, space policy and law, international cooperation, remote sensing and earth observation, telecommunication, engineering, astronomy, space-applied life sciences…

The Library web site and online catalog: http://isulibrary.isunet.edu/

The Library public page on Netvibes

Netvibes

Netvibes is a personalized dashboard publishing platform for the Web including digital life management, widget distribution services and brand observation rooms.-History:The company was founded by Tariq Krim and Florent Frémont in 2005.-Technology:...

: http://www.netvibes.com/isu-library#Home

The library features news about and information space agencies and research institutes around the world; and awareness and alerting services from journals.
RSS feeds to follow the library new acquisitions: Interested people may subscribe to the feed and receive regular updates about books, electronic documents or Team Projects added to the online catalog.

Training Facilities

with the strong support from ESA, the following facilities were installed and put into operation:

Radio Observatory

The Radio Telescopes at ISU give students the opportunity of performing observations as well as the necessary analysis, which introduces them to typical techniques of astrophysical research and gives them a first-hand experience in the study of the invisible Universe.

ESA-Dresden Radio Telescope

The satellite television Ku-band (10-12 GHz) is suitable to perform observations of the Sun and the Moon, using conventional material, such as a 1.2 meter parabolic dish, placed on the roof of the ISU building.

This telescope, developed under ESA contract by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits in Dresden for use in schools, has been given to ISU by ESA. It is capable of providing properly calibrated data, and hence allows to determine the surface temperatures of the Sun and the Moon. Since its in-depth testing by ISU Masters students, it has been extensively used in the framework of workshops and individual student projects.

With the ESA-Dresden Radio Telescope the students can experience and perform all the necessary steps from observation, calibration and data reduction to the interpretation and evaluation of the results.

ESA Haystack Radio Telescope

At a wavelength of 21 cm (1.42 GHz frequency), hydrogen atoms emit a strong spectral line, which allows radio astronomers to detect this element, the most abundant on the Universe.

The Haystack Observatory, run by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), developed a Radio Telescope for educational purposes, consisting of a 2.3 meter diameter standard satellite dish antenna (http://www.haystack.mit.edu/edu/undergrad/srt/index.html). Such an instrument has been donated to ISU by ESA and is being made operational in 2009. This new asset, named ESA-Haystack Radio Telescope, will provide the students with the opportunity of performing observations of astronomical objects even outside the Solar System.

Concurrent Design Facility (CDF)

As a new CDF installation was devised at ESTEC, the initial CDF arrangement was offered to ISU and was setup at ISU central campus during summer 2008.

The CDF installation brings ISU Masters students the possibility of familiarization with concurrent engineering and its processes of application through the organization of workshops and assignments, which shall always be double-oriented tasks, by combining the CDF process with the development of space related subjects.

As the usefulness of concurrent engineering extends much further than space mission design, the use of ISU CDF for other design processes in other industry fields is also under consideration.

GENSO Tracking Ground Station

Installed during summer 2008, ISU now owns a fully automated satellite tracking station, known as ISU Ground Station. This Ground Station comes to open several hands-on training opportunities for the Masters students, as satellite communication is now a reality at ISU.

ISU Ground Station with John RivetISU Ground Station was built in the scope of the Global Educational Network for Satellite Operations (GENSO) project (www.genso.org), an endeavour involving students worldwide and promoted by the International Space Education Board (ISEB), an organization consisting of the Educational Departments of some of the major space agencies worldwide.

Annual Symposium

The annual ISU symposium is dedicated to a topic with broad interest both with space industry and among the space agencies.

Year	Subject
2012	Sustainability of Space Activities: International Issues and Potential Solutions
2011	The International Space Station: Maximizing the Return from Extended Operations
2010	The Public Face of Space
2009	Space for a Safe and Secure World
2008	Space Solutions to Earth’s Global Challenges
2007	Why the Moon?
2006	-None-
2005	Space Exploration: Who, What, When, Where, Why?
2004	Civil, Commercial and Security Space: What Will Drive the Next Decade?
2003	Satellite Navigation Systems: Policy, Commercial and Technical Interaction Proceedings volume: Rycroft, M. J. (ed.), ISBN 978-1-4020-1678-3
2002	Beyond the International Space Station: The Future of Human Spaceflight Proceedings volume: Rycroft, M. J. (ed.), ISBN 978-1-4020-0962-4
2001	Smaller Satellites: Bigger Business? Concepts, Applications and Markets for Micro/Nanosatellites in a New Information World Proceedings volume: Rycroft, M. J. and Crosby, N. (eds), ISBN 978-1-4020-0199-4
2000	The Space Transportation Market: Evolution or Revolution? Proceedings volume: Rycroft, M. J. (ed.), ISBN 978-0-7923-6752-9
1999	International Space Station: The Next Space Marketplace Proceedings volume: Haskell, G. and Rycroft, M. J. (eds), ISBN 978-0-7923-6142-8
1998	Space and the Global Village: Tele-services for the 21st Century Proceedings volume: Haskell, G. and Rycroft, M. J. (eds), ISBN 978-0-7923-5481-9
1997	New Space Markets Proceedings volume: Haskell, G. and Rycroft, M. J. (eds), ISBN 978-0-7923-5027-9
1996	Space of Service to Humanity: Preserving Earth and Improving Life Proceedings volume: Haskell, G. and Rycroft, M. J. (eds), ISBN 978-0-7923-4344-8

Presidents

1991-1994: George Van Reeth
1994-1998: Roland Doré
1998-2004: Karl Doetsch
2004-2011: Michael Simpson
2011- To Date: Walter Peeters

Faculty

Resident Faculty
- John Farrow, UK
- Hugh Hill, Ireland
- Hideto Suzuki, Japan
- Angie Bukley, USA
- Walter Peeters, Belgium
- Nikolai Tolyarenko, Russia
- Vasilis Zervos, Greece
Part time faculty
Guest lecturers

Board and executive staff

Walter Peeters, President
Angie Bukley, Dean
Steve Brody, North American Operations
ISU Board of Trustees
ISU Board of Advisors
ISU Academic Council

Astronauts

James H. Newman
James H. Newman
James Hansen Newman is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions..- Personal data :...

, NASA, the first ISU alumnus (SSP 1989) to go into space
Jeffrey Hoffman, NASA, lecturer
Chiaki Mukai
Chiaki Mukai
is a Japanese doctor, and JAXA astronaut. She was the first Japanese woman in space, and was the first Japanese citizen to have two spaceflights. Both were Space Shuttle missions; her first was STS-65 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia in July 1994, which was a Spacelab mission. Her second spaceflight...

, NASDA/JAXA, detailed faculty
Robert Thirsk
Robert Thirsk
Robert Brent "Bob" Thirsk is a Canadian engineer and physician, and a former Canadian Space Agency astronaut. He holds the Canadian records for the longest space flight and the most time spent in space .-Personal life:Thirsk is from New Westminster, British Columbia and is married to Brenda...

, CSA, lecturer
Michel Tognini
Michel Tognini
Michel Ange-Charles Tognini is a French test pilot, officer in the French Air Force, and a former CNES and ESA astronaut who currently serves as Head of the European Astronaut Centre of the European Space Agency. A veteran of two space flights, Tognini has logged a total of 19 days in space...

, ESA (Head of European Astronaut Center), lecturer
Yang Liwei
Yang Liwei
Yáng Lìwěi is a Chinese major general and military pilot and a CNSA astronaut. He was the first man sent into space by the Chinese space program and his mission, Shenzhou 5, made China the third country to independently send people into space.-Background:...

, CASC, Special Guest Lecturer
Sergei Krikalev
Sergei Krikalev
Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev is a Russian cosmonaut and mechanical engineer. As a prominent rocket scientist, he has been veteran of six space flights and currently has spent more time in space than any other human being.On August 16, 2005 at 1:44 a.m...

, RUS, Special Guest Lecturer
Soyeon Yi, KARI, the first ISU alumna (SSP 2009) to go into space

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