Space Innovation, Business & Law
Dates of the course: September 2025 to March 2026
Teaching language(s): English
Credits: 3 ECTS
Contact: universeh@uni.lu
Universities involved:
- University of Luxembourg
- TBS Education
- University of Toulouse
- ISAE-SUPAERO
Profile and prerequisites:
- Course open to all interested students as soon as you demonstrate a documented interest in the field (3-minute motivation video).
- English level B2.
Teaching modalities: Blended: combination of all.
Student mobility: Optional mobility in Luxembourg for the SpaceHack
Assessment modalities:
- Examination via Moodle: (MCQ and open-ended questions)
This course is open to students from the seven universities and can be followed entirely online, with no requirement for physical mobility.
How to apply: Students apply at their home universities.
Lecturers:
- Eric TSCHIRHART
- Christophe BENAROYA
- Emmanuel ZENOU
Objectives: For the technically educated students, the courses are eyes opening in presenting the regulatory and business aspects of space activities. For the law students, the exchange with the technically trained students is enriching as they will most probably cooperate with the technical experts in the practice and must at least understand the problems which they are expected to solve.
For both groups, the business aspect of space innovation will be new and enlarging their competences. The interdisciplinarity of the course is a simulation of situations in a real employment/service world. Further, the opportunity for students to solve real problems in teams is also a considerable asset from the societal point of view.Course Learning Outcomes:
- Confrontation with real problems connected with space technology and gain an understanding of the complex interplay between technical necessities, regulatory and business frameworks.
- Gain knowledge and skills related to compliance with the international and national telecommunication regulations, recognizing the technical and regulatory problems connected with the cybersecurity of space communications, and comprehending the system of authorization of space objects and their associated frequencies.
- Learn the skills needed to understand the business part of Space and New Space activities.
- Basic regulatory expertise, business, and technical knowledge necessary for performing space activities.
- Gain foundation knowledge on space technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the space industry. Develop a better understanding of space legal context within the European and international environment.
- The program will equip the students with an ability to understand components of team and project management, and start-up development. Through the multiple activities, they will practice and develop their critical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Learn and practice communication, creative thinking and critical thinking, teamwork, Time management, motivation, problem-solving.
Description:
In a fast-growing space environment, there is a crucial need to cross-combine skills and expertise to speed up space project development, be it in terms of technical/technological, business or legal acumen. Time has come to interact and work in a collaborative and comprehensive way and from the outset between all key stakeholders.
This course aims at providing to the participants, whatever their educational or cultural background, not only a “common language” but also an efficient working culture combining technical, legal and business dimensions, enabling them to work more efficiently on the design and development of space-related projects, with a shared mindset.
A key feature of the course is the blend of students of different backgrounds, combined with eye-opening course material; with this configuration, interdisciplinarity is total. The subjects treated will focus on giving the students the opportunity to engage in both the entrepreneurial challenges associated with innovation and start-up marketing; as well as the legal and business issues associated with space economy and intellectual property.