In the two-year master's programme, 20 students will be trained and prepared to work in the Luxembourg space sector in collaboration with the Luxembourg Space Agency.
The aim is for Luxembourg to train its own experts in research and development in the space sector and avoid massive recruitment from abroad, according to the Minister of Economy Étienne Schneider at the presentation of the new master's course.
Future graduates can either be hired by companies specializing in this field or launch their own start-ups.
There is already a master's course for the space sector but it is more focused on the legal aspects of space mining and exploration. Several disciplines will be integrated into the future master's course at the University of Luxembourg. The course will touch upon technical aspects, such as robotics, as well as teach commercial management and make students familiar with the legal framework.
The master's course cost €4 million to set up and will cost prospective students €2,000 per semester.
The University of Luxembourg launches a unique Interdisciplinary Space Master in line with the Government's SpaceResources.lu initiative (15.02.2019)
Communiqué par: Luxembourg Space Agency
In fall 2019, the University of Luxembourg launches a two-year Interdisciplinary Space Master program. This Master study program, set up in collaboration with the Luxembourg Space Agency, aims to provide students with the engineering skills required in the burgeoning space industry, along with in depth knowledge to manage space-related business activities.
In 1985, a public-private partnership effort launched Société Européenne des Satellites, today known as global satellite operator SES. Over the last decades, further space-related services and businesses have developed alongside SES shaping a vibrant space economy. As a leader in commercial space, Luxembourg is following a unique space strategy focused on creating an attractive ecosystem for NewSpace companies. The Grand Duchy launched SpaceResources.lu in 2016 to establish the country as a centre for the exploration and utilisation of space resources.
The Interdisciplinary Space Master is an integral part of this strategy while developing the specific skills needed to pioneer a new and sustainable space industry in Luxembourg. "With the new study programme, the University responds to the growing need for graduates who are uniquely qualified to contribute to a growing and dynamic industry," says Stéphane Pallage, Rector of the University of Luxembourg.
This unique Interdisciplinary Space Master clearly differentiates from master programs offered at other universities. It aims to give participants who already possess an engineering or scientific background the additional technical expertise in areas needed to support Luxembourg's space industry along with a strong grounding in business.
To ensure the programme to meet business requirements, the Master Course was developed with input from important public and industry players in the space sector. Some of these companies endorse the programme by offering internships to students.
Étienne Schneider, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy said: "The Interdisciplinary Space Master further reinforces the dynamism of the national sector driven by the SpaceResources.lu initiative and the appeal of space and its potential. By training skilled and business-minded space experts, the Master programme blends in with the Luxembourg government's objective to become Europe's hub for NewSpace activities, in particular in the field of exploration and use of resources in space."
