The International Space University (ISU) proudly announces that the 35th annual Space Studies Program (SSP) session will convene in São José dos Campos, Brazil from 26 June to 25 August 2023.
The program will be hosted by two partners:
– the National Institute for Space Research (INPE)
– the Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA)
with the support of the city of São José dos Campos and the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB).
Combined, these organizations represent the best in South American space research, engineering, technology, operations, and policy.
Mr. Clezio Marcos de Nardin, the acting Director General of INPE states:
“We are delighted to hear the news of our selection! It represents an important opportunity for the Brazilian Space Program and the city of São José dos Campos to bring together our community of institutions related to space, allowing for more interaction, global cooperation, and motivating our industry towards space technology frontiers.”
Mr. Anderson Ribeiro Correia, Rector of the ITA which belongs to the Brazilian Air Force Command, states:
“SSP23 will contribute to extending the network of space stakeholders with the aerospace cluster located at São José dos Campos city as well as share multicultural experiences and show the students and alumni of ISU the amazing facilities, competencies, and high technologies installed in the R&D institutes, universities and companies surrounding the city.”
Mr. Anderson Farias, Mayor of São José dos Campos City, says:
“Receiving SSP in 2023 will be a great achievement, but also an honor for the city, the Brazilian hub of the aerospace cluster. The city takes this as a great opportunity to show the capabilities developed within its companies and institutions, to the international space community. São José dos Campos has recently received the first Smart, Sustainable, and Resilient City certificate in Brazil, and is recognized for taking good care of people. The city is looking forward to becoming the home of the ISU community during the nine weeks of the program.”
Mrs. Monica Rocha, from the local organizing committee of SSP23, says:
“We are very motivated and committed to welcoming the ISU family here in Brazil and running a successful SSP in São José dos Campos. We are looking forward to fruitful exchanges with the many international faculties, lecturers, staff, and participants.”
ISU President, Prof. Pascale Ehrenfreund concludes:
“SSP23 will be the third Space Studies Program in the Southern Hemisphere in the 35-year history of ISU – after Valparaiso, Chile in 2000 and Adelaide, Australia in 2004. Partnerships with INPE and ITA will further strengthen ISU’s ties to South America.”
Brazil offers a thriving space ecosystem. From the early 1960s, the country had a rocketry and space exploration program. In cooperation with China, it is now developing a series of Earth observation satellites. Those satellite applications aid the country in areas such as environment monitoring, agriculture, natural resources monitoring, urban planning, and many others. The famous Alcântara spaceport – the closest in the world to the equator – benefits from Public-Private-Partnerships with commercial enterprises like C6 Launch, Hyperion Rocket Systems, OrionAST, and Virgin Orbit, embracing NewSpace and developing new opportunities. Brazil also recently signed the Artemis Accords with the U.S. and international partners, for the joint exploration of the Moon from 2024 and Mars and beyond in the 2030s. The opportunities for Brazil and SSP23 participants are plentiful!
The SSP is an intensive two-month program hosted every year in a different location around the world. It offers participants a unique and comprehensive professional development experience, covering all aspects of space programs and enterprises. The SSP provides courses in all space disciplines, as well as hands-on education through workshops and professional visits. Team projects allow participants to refine a space-related topic as a team, and produce professional-quality reports and final presentations, all in the span of a few weeks. The program can also be carried out in a hybrid format with a separate online component.
More information about ISU’s Space Studies Program can be found here.
ISU and its partners will create an event that will live long in the memory and have a positive impact, not only on the participants but also on all communities involved!
Picture Credit: Brazilian Space Agency