Agency
27/07/2026
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In brief
The ESA’s Education Office is announcing the new edition of the Mission Success through Product Assurance Training Course which will take place from 16 to 20 November 2026 at ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility at ESEC-Galaxia, in Transinne, Belgium. This course was developed in collaboration with ESA’s Product & Assurance Department and will equip 30 participants comprised of university students and early-career professionals with background in Product Assurance (PA). Experts will teach them how PA is implemented in a space project, not only in ESA, but also in the space industry.
In-depth
The experience
Participants following a lecture on safety and dependability by an ESA expert.
PA engineers play a critical role in mission implementation. They are responsible for ensuring that the design is robust and reliable, and 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 spacecrafts and launchers are suitable for their intended function over the entire mission lifecycle.
Given the nature and importance of this role, ESA’s PA engineers are expected to adopt an independent and unbiased mindset, showing the hidden treats to the other team members. While “thinking outside the box” is a cliché for some people, it is essential for PA engineers. These engineers need strong analytical skills, attention to the details, critical thinking, forethought, (and sometimes a bit of “imagination”) to anticipate problems and pre-emptively save missions from failure.
This course is designed to attract the next generation of experts into these vital positions. Delivered by ESA’s current PA managers and discipline experts, it offers the participants an interactive learning experience to discover how PA is an integral part of engineering activities, playing a role in the development, design, test philosophy, building, and operation of systems. The trainers will share the principles, practices, and professional values that underpin effective Product Assurance with the students and early-career professionals, aiming to their final goal: to be successful PA engineers.
Participants will also be offered insights into the professional perspectives and experiences from the space industry.
Finally, the participants will work on group projects throughout the week to apply their PA knowledge to real cases, which they will then present to the experts as part of their evaluation. Upon completion of the training course, the students will receive a certificate of participation and a course transcript, allowing them to claim ECTS credit(s) from their respective universities.
Preliminary schedule
Day 1
Welcome and introduction
General introduction to the course
Overall context of space projects
R&D activities and technology development
Quality management and assurance – ESA perspective
Day 2
Materials and processes
Dependability and safety
Day 3
Software Product Assurance
EEE components
Day 4
Quality management and assurance – industry perspective
Supply chain management – industry perspective
Radiation hardness assurance
Day 5
Product assurance in space business
ESA certification schemes
Conclusion
Who can apply?
Eligibility criteria for university students
To participate, students must fulfil the following criteria:
be aged minimum of 18 years old. ESA Academy and relevant partners will only appraise applications from students who have no or limited professional experience in relevant scientific, engineering or other space-related topics;
be a national of an ESA Member State, Canada*, or Associate Member;
be enrolled as a university student for the academic year 2026-2027 in a Master (i.e., MSc or equivalent), or Doctoral (i.e., PhD or equivalent) degree programme;
be studying engineering, or science with a base engineering knowledge, and have a clear interest in Product Assurance.
Eligibility criteria for early-career professionals
To participate, early-career professionals must fulfil the following criteria:
Sponsorship and attendance
Groups of participants developing a Product Assurance report as part of their group assignment.
Sponsorship for university students
Selected students will be requested to attend the entire 5-day training week at ESEC. They will be sponsored by ESA to cover accommodation and meals, as well as up to 350 Euros for travelling to and from Belgium.
* Canadian students enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution may apply for additional support from the Canadian Space Agency through this Announcement of Opportunity (grant applications must be submitted at least 7 weeks before the event start date – create an account as soon as possible!). This additional support is to cover costs that are not already covered by ESA for selected Canadian post-secondary students.
Sponsorship for early-career professionals
Selected early-career professionals are expected to attend the entire 5-day training course in person at ESEC-Galaxia. The training itself is free of charge. ESA Academy will not pay for an early-career professional’s travel to ESEC-Galaxia, nor for any hotel and dinner costs. Lunches during the training are offered by ESA Academy. Detailed info can be found below.
Diversity and inclusion statement
ESA is committed to achieving diversity and creating an inclusive professional environment. To this end, we welcome proposals and applications from all eligible candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability, or other characteristics. The ESA Academy strongly encourages inclusiveness within its programmes and within participating teams, which contributes to the enrichment of our programme.
Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support, either digitally or at the location of the training. In case of any questions or specific needs, please reach out to academy.training@esa.int to get assistance or advice during the application process.
How to apply?
Apply through ESA Learn, the ESA Education and Community Platform;
For both students and early-career professionals:
Upload a motivation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, no image);
Upload a CV (PDF, Europass format, maximum 2 pages, no image);
For students only:
Upload a formal recommendation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, including signature, no image) from a university professor or academic supervisor of the current university (if it is not possible to receive the recommendation letter from your referee, please ask them to send a recommendation email to academy.training@esa.int before the application deadline);
Upload a copy of your transcript of grades from the two previous semesters, or, if not available, the previous graded academic year (PDF).
All answers and documents should be in English (except Transcript of Grades if not available).
Deadlines
Application deadline: Sunday 20 September 2026, 23:55 CEST.
Selection announcement: Monday 5 October 2026.
Before you apply
Accommodation
University students
Students will stay at Bô Rivage hotel in Neufchâteau.
The hotel will be provided and paid for by ESA.
Students will be assigned shared rooms with participants of the same gender.
Early-career professionals
ESA Academy will not pay for an early-career professional’s travel to ESEC-Galaxia, nor for any hotel and dinner costs.
Participants have the possibility to book accommodation for EUR 68 per night per person at Bô Rivage hotel: breakfast is available for EUR 8, dinner is available à la carte (no fixed price) or with the students (EUR 22).
Participants will have to find and book alternative accommodation themselves.
Arrival and departure
Arrival:
Participants staying at Bô Rivage Hotel are expected to arrive at Libramont train station on Sunday, 15 November 2026.
Shuttle services will be organised between 17:00 and 22:00 (CET) from Libramont train station to the hotel (closer to the date, you will receive a form to complete).
Departure:
Either Friday, 20 November 2026 after 19:30 CET (from Libramont train station), or
Saturday, 21 November 2026 before 11:00 CET
Important:
Selected participants are required to attend the entire workshop from start to finish.
Transportation during the workshop
A bus service will be provided and paid for participants by ESA:
Morning: Hotel → ESA ESEC-Galaxia
Evening: ESA ESEC-Galaxia → Hotel
Early-career professionals who book alternative accommodations will have to manage transport to and from ESEC-Galaxia themselves.
Contact and further information
For more information, please contact: academy.training@esa.int
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