The IEEC participates in the International Space University’s SSP 2023 summer programme
The ‘Space Studies Program’ (SSP) is an intensive 9-week course organised by the International Space University (ISU) during the summer months. The SSP is supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), as it offers training in a wide range of space disciplines, through theoretical courses, workshops and professional visits. Its 35th edition is taking place in São José dos Campos (Brazil). It started on 26 June and will finish on 25 August.
The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC — Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya), has had an active role in this year’s edition. Ana Montaner, Head of the IEEC Communication Office, has participated in several activities of the programme.
On Friday 28 July, Montaner conducted two workshops next to Juan de Dalmau, former Head of Communications at ESA’s Technology Centre in the Netherlands and former ISU President. In the morning, they devoted some time to ‘Crisis communication’, providing the participants with a hands-on introduction to communication in case of a crisis in the space transportation field. The attendees learned how to deal with a worse case scenario and deliver a public statement after a major accident.
In the afternoon, focus was put on interviews with journalists. Montaner and Dalmau provided participants with a hands-on learning experience to prepare for this kind of occasions. Besides these two workshops, Montaner was also involved in the Astronaut training session of the Metaverse project, dealing with communication aspects too.
Montaner’s participation in the SSP allowed her to interact with the recipients of the NewSpace Catalonia Scholarships, Adrián Fernández, Mercè Cuixart and Alejandro Guerra. In the framework of the Talent and Society programme of the NewSpace Strategy of Catalonia, the Government of Catalonia and the IEEC awarded these scholarships to partially offset the costs associated with participation in the SSP.
This programme has been a great opportunity to meet and discuss with all kind of professionals of the space sector: experts from ESA, NASA and other space organisations, engineers and scientists, but also lawyers or people with a humanities background. All in all, the SSP is a great human and professional experience.