ESA has opened applications for its Space Physician Training Course (SPTC) 2026, which will run from 20–22 January 2026 at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne.
The three-day program is aimed at doctors and PhD candidates in aviation or aerospace medicine. Participants will learn how ESA flight surgeons and medical experts monitor and support astronauts before, during and after missions, with lectures covering everything from the health impacts of life in low-Earth orbit to countermeasures being developed for long-duration missions to the moon and beyond.
The course is free of charge, though participants must organise their own travel and accommodation. Full attendance across all three days is required.
Established in 1990, the European Astronaut Centre is ESA’s hub for astronaut selection, training, medical support and family care. The centre also trains astronauts from partner space agencies on European-built systems for the International Space Station, such as the Columbus laboratory.
With more than 100 staff from across Europe, including the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and French space agency CNES, the EAC is widely regarded as Europe’s centre of excellence for human spaceflight.
Although Australia does not yet operate its own astronaut program, the Australian Space Agency has been expanding international partnerships, particularly through NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon. For Australian doctors, this course offers a rare pathway into a field that is expected to grow as human spaceflight, including commercial space travel, gathers momentum.
Applications for the 2026 intake close at 11:59pm CET on 14 September 2025. Interested candidates can apply through ESA’s online portal, with enquiries directed to the Space Medicine Team via [email protected].