Our Mission
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The SSPF was created for two reasons. Firstly, to serve the immediate need for an organisation to manage all local financial aspects of the International Space University’s (ISU) 2018 Space Studies Program (SSP) in the Netherlands. It also has the additional, longer-term objective to provide financial support for applicants from the Netherlands to attend space-related programs like the SSP.
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The now-defunct Nederlands Instituut voor Vliegtuigontwikkeling en Ruimtevaart (NIVR) had a foundation to support SSP students’ fees, but this disbanded when the NIVR was dissolved. The void that this left made it difficult for Dutch residents to obtain sufficient financial support to participate in the program. The SSPF intends to fill this gap by once again providing those interested in pursuing higher education in space with options for funding.
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Space is becoming increasingly important. Its services are infiltrating
more and more aspects of daily life. It can be found everywhere: in the weather forecast, in the calls with mobile phones, location services, navigation and the monitoring of air pollution are just a few examples. Space can provide solutions for global societal challenges in the scientific and technological realms, as well as for specific applications such as water management, agriculture and food, mobility, energy and our climate and environment. It develops know-how, creates jobs and makes our world safer, which is why governments, companies and academia are investing in it. |
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Joining the SSP doesn’t just contribute to the participants’ professional and personal development in this important field. It is also a ticket to the ISU’s alumni network. This network is made up of more than 4000 space professionals, many of whom hold key positions at institutional and commercial space organisations in more than a hundred countries, and are the catalyst for international business development, cooperation, programmes and career opportunities in the space sector.
The SSP contributes to the promotion and growth of the Dutch space sector in similar ways, which is why it is backed by the Netherlands Space Office (NSO), who arranged for SSP18 to take place in the Netherlands, with a newly-created SSPF to support it. |
The NSO is the Dutch government’s office dedicated to space, and made up of a cooperation between the ministries of Economische Zaken en Klimaat (Ministry of Economy and Climate); Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschappen (Education, Culture and Science); Infrastructuur en Waterstaat (Infrastructure and Water); Buitenlandse Zaken (Foreign Affairs); and the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO; Organisation for Scientific Research). Through the NSO, several ministries (OCW and EZ) contribute to the SSPF’s budget for SSP sessions and other space-related programs.
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International Space University
Click below to visit the International Space University’s website,
where you can learn more about the programs on offer.
where you can learn more about the programs on offer.
Image credits: ESA and ISU