2026 European Space for Sustainability Award is now open for bold ideas

The European Space for Sustainability Award, created to foster bold ideas about sustainability in the space sector, is now accepting submissions. Competing for the award is a great chance to join the sustainability conversation and get your ideas heard on the global stage.

Do you or someone you know have an idea about space and sustainability? Please register and spread the news. The contest is open to any student or professional between the ages of 18 and 30 who resides in Europe, or in an ESA Member or Cooperating State. Learn more about your eligibility to participate.

“Winning the ES4S Award 2025 was a defining moment in my research career,” said Dennis Jöckel, who won first prize in 2025. “It gave my work on sustainable re-entry materials the visibility it deserves, and helped me win support and funding that will shape our research for years to come.”

The process

Founded in 2012, the award aims to raise awareness and promote creative ideas. The European Space Agency, the European Interparliamentary Space Conference (EISC), and the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) sponsor the award as part of their efforts to find new ways to lighten the space industry’s footprint on Earth, in orbit and beyond.

You can participate as an individual or a small team of up to four people. Candidates must submit posters that summarise their project ideas by 3 May 2026. A board of experts will select a shortlist to proceed. If a project idea advances to the second round, the submitters will be asked to share a short report detailing their proposal by 21 June 2026.

First place and special mention prizes

• First place and special mention winners will be invited to present their project ideas at the European Interparliamentary Space Conference in September this year in Madrid, Spain
• The first place winner will get to develop their project through a dedicated mentorship programme
• First place and special mention winners will have the opportunity to spend a day discovering the European Astronaut Centre in Germany and potentially meet an astronaut
• The first place winner will also get the chance to spend two to four weeks as a visiting researcher at ESPI in Vienna, Austria

The deadline for the candidates to submit a poster summarising their project idea is 3 May 2026. You can do this through the registration page on the award’s web site.

The winning project ideas will be announced in Madrid, Spain, at the September 2026 plenary session of the European Interparliamentary Space Conference, where winners will present their ideas.

“Presenting in front of European Members of Parliament from 11 countries was an experience no lecture hall can prepare you for,” Dennis said. To see his project, “Sustainable Re-entry Materials,” or any other first-place or special mention ideas, visit this page. 

For more information, visit the Space for Sustainability website or contact marion.mirailles@ext.esa.int.