The resources listed here are the best available professional development programs for training in spaceflight, space resources, entrepreneurship in the space sector, and other space-related subjects. The spaceflight programs offer robust modules that include training similar to what astronauts at federal agencies receive, such as spacesuit utilization, human physiology in space, payload development, psychology in space, and more. The educational resources are academic programs that are supplemental and complementary to already-completed bachelors and masters degrees.
Note: Some of the programs listed here may be bundled together, for example: Project PoSSUM includes training with Survival Systems USA and SAMI, and Ventures Beyond includes training with SAMI and Patty Wagstaff. Make sure to check out each listing individually to find the program that works best for you or mix-and-match services to create a customized program with your own friends and colleagues.
Astronaut Training
Analog missions are vital for anyone pursuing a life in space. At analog sites around the world, scientists and explorers test spacesuits, agriculture, psychological stamina, and more. Analog Astronaut is an excellent and robust resource for analog missions.
Final Frontier Design is a spacesuit design company in Brooklyn, New York. They offer a “Spacesuit Experience” where you can try on their spacesuits, perform astronaut-oriented tasks, learn about space suit history and design, and see how spacesuits are made.
Inner Space Training provides mental and psychological training for those working in or pursuing spaceflight. Topics includes remaining calm amid powerful G-forces, mental acuity and concentration, situational awareness, and more.
The NASTAR (National AeroSpace Training And Research) Center’s spaceflight training programs are the first FAA safety-approved courses able to meet the training requirements for commercial human spaceflight, both suborbital and orbital.
Patty Wagstaff aerobatic school is a world-class flight training facility in St. Augustine, Florida. Of particular interest to aspiring astronauts is the Upset Training course, which is designed to teach or refresh pilots the skills needed to handle loss-of-control while flying.
The International Institute for Astronautical Sciences is a citizen-science institute specializing in aeronomy, bioastronautics, operational science, and science education. They host the Project PoSSUM citizen scientist-astronaut training program.
The original Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, is an excellent introduction to astronaut life for both kids and adults. The advanced adult program contains experiences on multiple simulators and a SCUBA mission on the Underwater Astronaut Trainer.
The Southern AeroMedical Institute in Hibiscus, Florida, is a specialized facility where current and aspiring pilots and future astronauts can receive training on the subject of Slow Onset Hypoxia in an on-site chamber that simulates flight at high altitudes.
Ventures Beyond offers a Citizen Scientist-Astronaut Program that covers important spaceflight training experiences like aerobatic and high-g flights, hypoxia/high-altitude awareness, land and sea survival, analog missions, as well as online learning modules.
The Zero G Corporation is the top worldwide provider of microgravity flights. These flights are currently the only way to experience the microgravity environment of space without actually being in space. The flights are available for both recreation and research.
Professional Education
The Aldrin Space Institute at Florida Institute of Technology, alongside the ISU Center for Space Entrepreneurship, was created to advance space exploration and development toward the goal of establishing and sustaining a permanent human presence on Mars.
The International Space University (ISU) is a professional development organization that offers interdisciplinary educational programs to students and space professionals in the subjects of space science, engineering, space policy, business, and more.
Kepler Space Institute offers post-graduate educational programs and research solutions for the space industry and the pursuit of exploration. Classes cover subjects like space technology and architecture, space policy and law, and even space philosophy and theory.
The New Right Stuff: Using Space to Bring Out the Best in You is an 8-week course designed to develop your skills as a SpaceKind Leader, a title coined by its creator, Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides. Loretta is an astronaut trainer at Virgin Galactic and co-founder of Yuri’s Night.