Program Structure
Delft University of Technology offers the SpaceTech Master’s Degree program in Space Systems Engineering, which combines space systems engineering and business engineering into a comprehensive and integrated curriculum.
In operation for more than ten years, SpaceTech is one of the few Master’s Degree programs in the world that specializes in space education and is internationally recognized for its contributions to the training of future world-class leaders in the space field. This flexible one-year program provides high technical and management competency gains and substantially increased business and interpersonal skills. SpaceTech offers a comprehensive and integrated curriculum, conducted in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment during five two-week sessions in attractive international locations. Participants can continue to meet their current employment commitments, while at the same time earning an accredited Master's Degree in Space Systems Engineering, awarded by the Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.
The SpaceTech teaching environment has attracted an international group of well-known, highly-respected and top-quality instructors, mentors and coaches, as well as participants from many parts of the world - a truly international institute.
Because of its unique orientation towards full-time employed, mid-career professionals, SpaceTech is designed as an extremely effective Master’s Degree program where the "residence time" of the SpaceTech curriculum is reduced as much as possible. Class-room instructions are divided into five two-week sessions, spread out over ten months, with the sessions interspersed by periods ranging from six to eight weeks. Each two-week session is intense, with classes in the first three sessions taught for six days/week, with a total of over 50 hours/week of actual classroom lectures and exercises. For further information, see the Program Overview provided below and the description of the curriculum.
Central Case Project
In addition to the interactive classroom instruction, a major asset of the SpaceTech program is the Central Case Project (CCP), aimed at the formation of a credible commercial space-related business. Participants learn to apply the taught concepts to develop technical systems and to adjust its parameters in order to make their newly conceived business feasible and profitable. In this way, participants also experience and learn to work in an international team environment on a project that is as close as possible to real-life.
At the end of the program, participants present their project in the form of an unsolicited proposal to potential investors, represented by a selected group of senior engineers, managers and executives from the space community. During the Central Case Project, participants learn the important connections between mission and system design and the potential return to investors. For an overview of previous CCP's, please visit this page.
Select your own module
SpaceTech also allows to follow selected modules only. Please visit this page, for more information.
Program Overview
Below, an overview of all sessions is given. On the left hand navigation bar, you can also find the list of the full curriculum with its different modules and courses.
Session 1 - Delft
September
- Business Engineering (5 days)
- Space Mission Analysis & Design (5 days)
- Interpersonal Skills and Leadership Development (1 day)
- Introduction to Central Case Project (0.5 days)
Session 2 - Toulouse
November
- Business Engineering (1 day)
- Telecommunication (3.5 days)
- Earth Observation (3.5 days)
- Interpersonal Skills and Leadership Development (1 day)
- Central Case Project (1 day)
- Launch vehicles (1 day)
Session 3 - Munich
February
- Systems Engineering (4 days)
- Navigation (4 days)
- Interpersonal Skills and Leadership Development (1 day)
- Central Case Project (2 days)
Session 4 - Rome
April
Session 5 - Noordwijk
June
- Central Case Project (8 days)
- Final Presentation (1 day)
- SpaceTech Symposium (1 day)
Graduation - Delft
September
Graduation takes place during the first session of the next term of SpaceTech. Therefore, this will again be in September and take place at the Delft University of Technology.
SpaceTech - More than a Master's Program
The SpaceTech curriculum is designed specifically to meet the needs identified by companies and organizations involved in the development, operations, and application of space systems. As such, the SpaceTech program constitutes a unique training environment and curriculum for those who are or will be involved with the execution of integrated product development and the management of multi-national projects.
SpaceTech papers
Bone, M., Cloutier, R.L., Gill, E. and Verma, D. "A Case Study: Application of the Systems Engineering Modeling in the ealry phases of a Complex Space System Project," 7thAnnual Conference on Systems Engineering Research, 2009.
Gill, E., Kreisel, J. and Verma, D. "Integrating Systems and Business Engineering in an International Context:The SpaceTech Postgraduate Program," 19th Annual INCOSE International Symposium, 2009.
Gill, E., Chiocchia, G., Escudier, B., Lisi, M., Stoewer, H. and de Bruijn, F. "Integrated Post-graduate Space Education and Training," International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI), 2008.
Bruijn, F. de, Gill, E. and Ashford E. "SpaceTech - International Postgraduate Education in Space Systems and Business Engineering," International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI), 2008.
Gill, E., Lisi, M., Bousquet, M. and Larson, W.J. "Virtual Space Academy," 59th International Astronautical Congress, 2008
