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Holding of the Space Cost Engineering Conference 2026

This conference dedicated to the specialty of our community was held at ESTEC on October 1 and 2. 

The 117 participants from 39 companies and schools (including 4 space agencies) from 10 European countries shared their experience during 2 days of conference. The discussions focused on methods, standards, tools and training related to cost estimation. 

The conference Group As in many fields, AI-based solutions are emerging and have given rise to presentations and discussions. 

    The group photo of the conference participants

Both ESA and CNES are involved in universities to promote the space sector. We took advantage of this conference to organize a “student poster challenge”. The subject: “what space project can I carry out today with a budget of €5 million”. The winner presented us with a very well-supported statistical study. 

We thank the inspiring people who took turns in front of the desk to get us to think about innovative or unusual themes, such as astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, Professor Paolo Gaudenzi or Mrs. Stella Tkatchova. 

At the end of the discussions, we agreed to meet in France, in the fall of 2028, for the next edition of the conference.

All presentations are archived in the “resources” tab opposite or at the bottom of this home page. The group photo and submitted student posters are also attached in separate files. It will remain available in this section until the next edition of the conference. 

For information, contact M. Van PELT (ESA) or F. MOLL (CNES)