Focus on cosmic radiation: ESA and FAIR invite to the 2026 Space Radiation Summer School in Darmstadt
25.08.2026 |
How can astronauts and satellites be protected from cosmic radiation? What part do particle accelerators play in this? These questions are the focus of the “ESA-FAIR Space Radiation Summer School 2026”, which is currently being held in Darmstadt. This renowned event is the world’s leading training program in the field of space radiation research and brings together young researchers from more than ten countries to spend two weeks intensively addressing the challenges posed by cosmic radiation. The summer school is a unique collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the international accelerator center FAIR, which is currently under construction at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, and is organized by Professor Marco Durante and his space radiation research team at GSI/FAIR’s Biophysics Department.
The program offers an exclusive program at the interface of basic research and applied space technology. In focus: research of cosmic rays and their effects on humans, materials, and electronics—a key topic for safe spaceflight and long-term missions, such as those to the Moon or Mars.
During the Summer School, participants get to know both locations: The first week focused on activities at ESA’s European Space Operations Center (ESOC), where they have a dense program of lectures and site visits. In the second week, the young researchers moved to the GSI/FAIR campus where they focus on hands-on, experimental activities in space radiation research. At the end of the Summer School, they will also visit the European Astronaut Center (EAC) in Cologne. The final test is a real experimental proposal for beamtime at the GSI/FAIR facility with a n experiment addressing open gaps in space radiation research. Professor Marco Durante, Head of the GSI/FAIR Department of Biophysics, for FAIR and Dr. Anna Fogtman for ESA will evaluate the proposals and give awards to the best ideas submitted.
The scientifically outstanding program was opened by Dr. Piers Jiggens, Science Lead for Radiation at ESA, and Professor Marco Durante. Participants gained valuable insights from presentations by leading experts, including former ESA astronauts Dr. Thomas Reiter from Germany and Dr. Christer Fuglesang from Sweden, as well as former ESA Director General Professor Johann-Dietrich Wörner. On the GSI/FAIR campus, the young researchers were welcomed by Professor Thomas Nilsson, the Scientific Managing Director of GSI/FAIR. Dr. Ralph Assmann, Head of the Accelerator Operations and Development Division, provided an overview of the accelerator facilities at GSI and FAIR. The students also visited the FAIR construction site, guided by Dr. Radek Pleskac.
The ESA-FAIR Space Radiation Summer School is a very successful training program and received outstanding reviews by former students. The school is very selective, limited to only 15 graduate students, while more than 50 applications are received annually. Many former students remain in the field and now actively work in academy or industry in the fields of space science or radiation biophysics.
The ESA-FAIR Space Radiation Summer School is a result of the close partnership between ESA and FAIR for joint research on cosmic rays and is one of several projects under the GSI/FAIR-ESA cooperation agreement. The geographical proximity of ESA and GSI/FAIR in Darmstadt creates ideal conditions for a strong regional science cluster in one of the key research fields of the future. (BP)
