SEEDS–The international postgraduate master program for preparing young systems engineers for space exploration☆

Abstract SpacE Exploration and Development Systems (SEEDS) initiative originated from Politecnico di Torino and Thales Alenia Space Italy in 2005. It aimed at establishing a postgraduate international master course in space exploration and development systems to offer an opportunity to young engineers to get prepared for the future of Europe in space exploration. SEEDS project has been shared with Supaero Toulouse in France and with University of Bremen (together with the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity, ZARM) in Germany. SEEDS course comprises of two different steps in sequence: an initial learning phase and a project work phase. The distinguishing feature of SEEDS is without any doubt the project work phase, which includes the preparatory work and the conceptual design activities, performed in three European sites to develop a limited number of building blocks identified during the preparatory work. The first year of activity started in November 2005. Five years of activities have passed since then and five project works have been successfully completed, dealing with various space exploration themes. The paper focuses on the description of SEEDS master course, in terms of master course structure, applied methodology and students team organization, and on the main results achieved, in terms of project work activities and development of future space workforce. The positive experience of five years of SEEDS is brought to evidence and lessons learned are discussed in view of SEEDS continuation.