Presentation of the FSDA

The constitution of a pool of experts in space defence and the creation of attractive new career paths will be key factors in guiding and achieving the ambition expressed in France’s Space Defence Strategy. In this context, the aim of France’s new French Space Defence Academy (FSDA) is to provide education opportunities for personnel from the Ministry of the Armed Forces and to utilize the synergies between these courses to provide a personalized approach to space training.

As the Ministry’s expert resource centre in this domain, the FSDA can provide targeted top-level training with recognized qualifications. The available courses range from short conversion courses to specialist master’s degrees within various institutions, especially elite engineering schools under ministry oversight, generating a foundation of expertise.

The FSDA was established in 2023 and is composed of a partnership of three entities coordinated on a rotating basis by one of its members. The three members are ISAE-SUPAERO (Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace - National Higher Institute of Aeronautics and Space), EAE (Ecole de l’Air et de l’Espace – French Air and Space School) and CFOSM (Centre de Formation aux Opérations Spatiales Militaires – Space Operations Education and Training Centre), which is part of French Space Command (Commandement de l’Espace - CDE). This pooling of resources provides a clear and shared training framework, covering both the academic and operational aspects of space defence (scientific and technological expertise at ISAE-SUPERO, scientific and military at EAE and space operations at CFOSM).

The FSDA is open to partners from other ministries and other countries, as well as to other stakeholders in the sector (CNES, ONERA, industry etc.). It will constitute a prime forum for exchanges and encounters with key academic and industrial players in the space sector.