Dates: 12-17 July 2026
Venue: Observatório Lago Alqueva, Monsaraz, Portugal

The SPHERE Summer School will last for 5 days, consisting of a total of 28 hours of workshop-based training, such as presentations followed by hands-on sessions (10 hours of lectures and demonstrations, 18 hours of hands-on workshops). 

It aims to strengthen the digital profile of educators and learners, increase students’ motivation and interest in STEAM subjects, and foster key skills.

Participants will also gain a deeper understanding of the importance of space exploration and its future prospects, as well as the unique characteristics of the Earth and the need to protect our environment.

It will also integrate innovative practices and tools to enrich the teacher’s digital competence profile and invite them to take a SPHERE learning journey with us.

The main objectives of the course are:

• Present the activities and toolkits prepared by the SPHERE collaboration
• Prepare  partners and teachers for the SPHERE out-of-classroom simulations in various countries and the SPHERE analog missions in Portugal and Poland.

➤ All information about the course and registration:

The first meeting of the Space Schools Exploration and Research Mission (SPHERE) project took place in Vienna, Austria, 8-9 October 2025, hosted by the lead partner the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) on their premises. Representatives of all the partners in this exciting new collaboration were present and over the two-day meeting each presented their role and responsibilities in SPHERE.

The partners of the SPHERE project in Vienna

This project is a follow-up to EXPLORE and goes one step further by actively integrating the methodologies and workflows of professional analog space missions into student learning experiences.. Students will be prepared to take part and contribute to the real analog missions of AMADEE, planned to take place in Alqueva in 2027, before the SPHERE students’ mission. The SPHERE out-of-classroom activities (SOCs) will be an introduction for the students to conduct a real analog space mission and support the professional event. With this simulation, schools will be transformed into mini space agencies, where every student participating in the project will have a role. The SOC missions are intended to ensure a broader participation of the whole classroom and even other students from the school. In addition, in 2027 and 2028 there will be a mission on an analog site in Portugal and in Poland for selected students and their accompanying teachers. 

It’s not just the students who will improve their digital skills and knowledge, the teachers will be fully accompanied by the SPHERE partners throughout the project. A virtual and a physical toolkit will be created, teachers will be supported online to integrate Universal Design Learning and IDEA principles, with students at the heart of their learning experience. An AI-companion will be there to help teachers integrate these activities and cutting edge tools into their curricula and their classrooms. Two summer schools for teachers will also be held, to help create a community of inspired and inspiring educators. SPHERE will be coordinated by the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF), with the active participation of COSPAR, NUCLIO, Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Technische Universität München, Space is More and BIOSKY, LDA.