Airbus has opened the company’s Space Academy in Toulouse, France to help train customers in the operation of satellites and space systems that are acquired from the company.

When a spacecraft or system is purchased from Airbus, the future operator requires training – particularly for such first-time customers as governments establishing their initial space programs, explained Héloïse Scheer, the Customer Training Manager for Space Systems. 

Such preparation typically involves 3-6 months of theoretical training and an equivalent amount of practical operational training. “We have some customers with us for up to 12 months,” Scheer said.

Airbus customers, who can spend up to a year training on satellite operations, will benefit from the resources at the Space Academy in Toulouse, France.

The 500 square meters Space Academy, inaugurated on 29 May, strikes a balance between operational efficiency and comfort, stated Scheer. Feedback from the Academy’s first customers already has been positive and “it’s the little considerations that have received the most praise,” she added.

Scheer noted that Airbus is establishing itself as a recognized leader in customer training with the attention paid to customers’ needs at the Space Academy and the company’s continuing work to digitize all aspects of training. “The Space Academy building is an important step.”

The new Space Academy has a surface area of approximately 500 square meters and is located on Airbus Toulouse' space campus in an area fully dedicated to customers.