The Moscow Higher School of Economics announced that it would be establishing an International Space Academy. The decision came in the aftermath of the International Space Games, a large-scale engineering and educational competition in the format of a space mission where the contestants simulate conditions on Mars. Twenty participants from eight countries spent 48 hours at stations in equipped greenhouses at the Skolkovo testing grounds. Young engineers provided their own energy, food, and oxygen, while simultaneously conducting a research mission in the autonomous settlement they had created.

The project will be supported by Roscosmos. Initially the academy will function as a continued partnership between those people who participated in the games. They will then launch a pilot project allowing young professionals to build a professional portfolio and participate in selections for internships and partner project teams. “We agreed to launch an International Space Academy for those who participated in the games and for those who would like to attend but couldn’t,” said Dmitry Zemtsov, vice rector of the Higher School of Economics. “We’ll hold seminars remotely, exchange technical solutions, and connect.” The main goal, according to organizers, will be to develop a path for participants from engineering competitions to real-world research and development in the rocket and space industry.