Training school “Mars and the Earthlings: Can we, and should we, go to Mars?”
Obernai (France)
October 8–13, 2026
Key facts
Location: Obernai (near Strasbourg), France. In person only (no online attendance).
Dates: October 8–13, 2026.
Application deadline: June 1.
Intended for: PhD students, early-career researchers, engineers, philosophers, journalists, economists, lawyers, artists.
Official language: English.
Organizing institutions: European Astrobiology Institute, and the Cluster of Excellence The Martian Mindset (University of Bremen).
Other supporting institutions: Société française d’exobiologie, and the Centre national d’études spatiales.
Organising committee: Lucie Poulet, Cyprien Verseux, Frédéric Foucher, Muriel Gargaud, Michel Viso.
General description
The MATE training school is dedicated to the scientific, ethical, medical, economical, political, and legal questions around the human exploration of the red planet.
It stemmed from the European Astrobiology Institute’s Project Team “Mars and the Earthlings”, whose goal is to provide reliable information and foster healthy, evidence-based discussions on human Mars exploration.
Among the topics to be covered are the Martian geology and climate, robotic missions to Mars, crewed orbital flight, permanent settlements on Mars, and terraforming. On top of technical and scientific challenges, each topic will be looked at from economic, legal, societal, psychological, and medical perspectives. Since this training school targets participants from a very broad spectrum of disciplines, the first day will introduce key concepts and contextualize the human exploration of Mars.
In parallel to lectures, each participant will work on one among several group projects where they will develop a detailed and realistic scenario related to a crewed Mars mission. Each group will explore one aspect of the mission (engineering, science, law, economics, ethics, etc.).
Two excursions are planned: one to the European Council, and one to be announced at a later date.
Programme
The current version of the programme can be found here. Please note that it may be subject to small changes.
Fees
There is no tuition fee for this course. However, in order to help cover the costs of the event, participants will be charged a package rate of:
- € 450 for students who are members of the organizing institutions (EAI and Martian Mindset Cluster of Excellence).
- € 550 for other participants.
This fee covers:
- Accommodation from the evening of October 8 to the morning of October 13.
- Meals and coffee breaks from the dinner of October 8 to the breakfast of October 13.
- Bus transfer to the European Council, downtown Strasbourg (excursion on the last day).
Fellowships
Two to three fellowships will be granted by Bremen’s Cluster of Excellence The Martian Mindset, covering accommodation, food and part of the travel costs. PhD and Master’s students are eligible. Application requirements can be found in the registration form.
Venue and access
The training school will take place in the VVF Obernai (2 Rue de Berlin, 67210 Obernai, France). Accommodation will be provided in double rooms, directly in the VVF or within walking distance.
The venue can be reached:
- By train: There is a train station in Obernai (2 km). A shuttle will be organized to pick up participants from there. From Strasbourg (27 km), a regional train (TER) or bus can bring you to the station in Obernai.
- By plane: The nearest airport is Strasbourg-Entzheim (18 km).
Registration
Applications can be submitted through this form.
While we are hoping to accommodate all requests, if the number of applications exceeds the capacity of the venue, applicants will be selected by a committee. The main selection criteria will be profile diversity (background, profession), motivations for participating in the training school, and country of residence, so as to ensure a diverse group of participants.
Successful applicants will be notified by June 15. The payment of the fees will be due by June 30.
Contact
For questions or concerns, send an email to both Lucie Poulet (lucie.poulet@uca.fr) and Cyprien Verseux (cyprien.verseux@zarm.uni-bremen.de). Please include in the in the subject line: “[MATE TS]”.
