IAC-08-E1.2.14 VIRTUAL SPACE ACADEMY

The space sector needs highly trained personnel. This calls for a continuous learning process comprising post-graduate educational programs. However, the offered programs differ substantially in scope and characteristics, coverage and focus, quality and organization and lack inter-program coordination. To remedy this, a Virtual Space Academy has been initiated which allows coordination of post-graduate space education and realizes cross-fertilization between the programs to enhance and stimulate space education. The paper addresses the process of setting up the Virtual Space Academy from a European nucleus and details its objectives. The opportunities that the academy offers in providing a continuity of highly qualified space engineers and managers, maintaining a knowledge-base in line with current technology standards and trends, realizing cost savings through harmonization and cooperation within the virtual setting of the academy are also addressed