European Space Agency
ESA Education
Group photo taken during the kick-off workshop at ESTEC in the Netherlands, with students from the new cycle of the ESA Academy Experiments Programme for the Orbital Robotics Lab
Group photo taken during the kick-off workshop at ESTEC in the Netherlands, with students from the new cycle of the ESA Academy Experiments Programme for the Orbital Robotics Lab
ESA Academy

Announcement of opportunity for the ESA Academy Experiments Programme 2026-2027

03/08/2026

The call for proposals for the 2026-2027 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 22 November 2026 at 23:59 CET.

Students from Team MACKI participating in the ESA Academy Experiments programme and ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski during the parabolic flights campaign
Students from Team MACKI participating in the ESA Academy Experiments programme and ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski during the parabolic flights campaign

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).

Students participating in the ESA Academy Experiments programme during the kick-off workshop
Students participating in the ESA Academy Experiments programme during the kick-off workshop

The Orbital Robotics Lab includes Europe’s largest 2D free floating testbed, a motion capturing system, maneuverable floating platforms, 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, 31 July – 22 November 2026.

In the “Listen and Learn” phase, students are invited to follow an online module which includes 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.   

To get started, simply click here to register for the activity and begin following the lectures in the “ESA Academy Experiments programme” module.

Phase 2: Consult and Confer, 1 September – 22 November 2026.

Once initiated, the ”Consult and Confer” phase runs alongside 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. Early consultation is highly recommended but does not influence the selection outcome.

This phase ends on 22 November 2026 with the proposal submission deadline.

Additionally, two online information sessions will be organised on:

  • Monday 14 September 2026, 16:00–17:30 CEST

  • Monday 19 October 2026, 16:00–17:30 CEST

These webinars are a great chance to ask questions and learn how to prepare your proposal. Please register to attend using the following link.

Phase 3: Submit and Succeed, 22 November 2026 – end January 2027.

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 2027. 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 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 team 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.

  • Students from Team DELPOY participating in the ESA Academy Experiments programme during the parabolic flights campaign
    Students from Team DELPOY participating in the ESA Academy Experiments programme during the parabolic flights campaign
  • Team GRASP integrating their gecko gripper on the air bearings platforms
    Team GRASP integrating their gecko gripper on the air bearings platforms
  • Two members of team COCO working on their setup on the flat floor of the Orbital Robotics Lab
    Two members of team COCO working on their setup on the flat floor of the Orbital Robotics Lab
  • Two members of the MVIPER student team controlling their experiment while experiencing microgravity during the November 2025 parabolic flight campaign.
    Two members of the MVIPER student team controlling their experiment while experiencing microgravity during the November 2025 parabolic flight campaign.