The call for proposals for the 2024-2025 cycle of the ESA Academy Experiments programme is now open! University teams are invited to submit ideas for scientific and technical experiments. The Experiments programme offers free consultation prior to submitting an experiment proposal. Successful applicants will be supported in the design, development and operations of their experiment onboard one of the available platforms. The deadline to submit applications is Sunday 1 December 2024 at 23:59 CET.
The ESA Academy Experiments programme is a hands-on initiative offering bachelor’s, master’s and PhD students from eligible states the opportunity to design, build and test their own experiment in a facility that is not commonly accessible to students.
Two research platforms are available for this opportunity: the Parabolic Flights and the Orbital Robotics Lab.
The parabolic flight campaign, taking place on the Airbus A310 Zero-G, consists of a series of three flights of 31 parabolas, which individually provide about 22 seconds of centi-milli-gravity levels (10-2g – 10-3g).
The Orbital Robotics Lab includes Europe’s largest 2D free floating testbed, a motion capturing system, maneuverable floating platforms with autonomy of 15 minutes and a load capacity of up to 100kg, as well as a satellite docking mechanism to support your experiment idea. Thanks to the friction reduction, this facility provides a suitable analogue to the microgravity space environment, simulating microgravity in three dimensions (2 translational, 1 rotational).
Participants will receive expert guidance from space professionals at every stage of their project, from kick-off to the experiment operations and analysis. Through participation in a space project in a professional and international environment, they gain engineering and scientific competences, experience in the execution of complex projects, and industry-relevant soft skills.
The programme is structured in four key phases:
Phase 1: Listen and Learn, 9 October – 1 December 2024.
In the “Listen and Learn” phase, students are invited to follow a series of pre-recorded lectures about systems engineering, project and team management, ESA and its exploration and technology roadmaps, and the different platforms that are offered by the Experiments programme. These online lectures guide teams in making informed decisions about participating in the subsequent phases of the ESA Academy Experiments programme and offer insights on how to best approach their project ideas.
Click here to view the videos dedicated to the ESA Academy Experiments programme.
Phase 2: Consult and Confer, 9 October – 1 December 2024.
The “Consult and Confer” phase runs in parallel to Phase 1. After following the above lectures, teams have the possibility to discuss and refine their experiment ideas as well as the proposal directly with ESA Academy representatives. They are encouraged to ask any questions they might have to receive guidance and prepare the best proposal possible. This phase ends on 1 December 2024 with the proposal submission deadline.
Phase 3: Submit and Succeed, 1 December 2024 – end January 2025.
During the “Submit and Succeed” phase, applications are reviewed. Shortlisted teams are invited to present their project live to a panel of experts for in-depth discussions. The final result of the selection process is announced around January 2025. Selected teams then have the opportunity to attend a multi-day workshop setting the basics for a successful implementation of their experiment.
Phase 4: Perform and Publish, following selection.
Kick-off of the selected projects will mark the beginning of the ultimate phase, “Perform and Publish”, which lasts around 9 to 12 months, depending on the experiment’s intended platform. With the support of ESA Academy and platform experts, teams will design and develop their experiment concept into a tangible reality while gaining extensive knowledge about the design, review, assembly, and testing processes. During the campaign, teams will have the opportunity to run their experiment on the selected platform and gather the data required for analysis, enabling them to draw conclusions from their research. Four months after the campaign, teams will be required to submit a final version of the documentation, marking the conclusion of their project with ESA.
Are you ready to take on this exciting challenge? Find the instructions for application on the How to Apply page and take note of the Current Schedule. Explore the ESA Academy Experiments website for more general information about the programme. If you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to contact us at academy.experiments(at)esa.int.
It is noted that the Large Diameter Centrifuge, the Drop Towers, the International Space Station and the Space Rider platform are not open to new applications during this Announcement of Opportunity.
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 during the Experiments Programme. The ESA Academy can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us by email at academy.experiments(at)esa.int.
English