Natalie! What happened to your blog?!? Well, I gave it a quick makeover for the summer. Why? Because this summer I am heading to International Space University’s Space Studies Program in Graz, Austria!
ISU was founded in 1987 by Peter Diamandis (founder and chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation). ISU’s main campus is in Strasburg, France where the school offers Master’s Programs in Space Studies, Space Management and Space Systems Engineering, and an Executive MBA Program. They also offer the 9-week Space Studies Program which is held every summer in a different location around the globe. Past SSP’s have been in France, NASA Ames, Spain, China, and Australia (to name a few). This summer it will be held in Graz, Austria at Graz University of Technology (aka Technische Universitat Graz or “TU Graz”).
SSP2011 will be home to 121 students from 31 countries – only 5 from the US! The summer will be jam-packed with learning about the space industry. There are 6 departmental tracks from which to choose. I am currently leaning towards Space Policy and Law. There are also 3 Team Projects: Fresh Water, Human-Robotic Cooperation, and Small Satellites.
This is our textbook: The Farthest Shore – it’s a free ebook so you can read the whole thing if you're interested!
This is what the summer looks like:
Yep, I have to take my first EXAM since college – uh oh! But we also have Theme Days, Cultural Nights, Distinguished Lectures and Panels (with astronauts!), and field trips!
Some of my heroes in the space industry have gone to ISU or SSP: Nick Skytland (director or NASA’s OpenGov Initiative) and William Pomerantz (Vice President for Special Projects at Virgin Galactic), and many others. ISU has a track record of producing the next generation of leaders in the space industry.
I leave in 4 days...better start packing!
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