16-09-2025
Susana Alves, a Biomedical Engineering student at NOVA FCT, has been selected to join the International Space Education Board (ISEB) Student Program, being the only Portuguese student among just 10 spots awarded at the European level.
This program, promoted by several international space agencies such as ESA, NASA, JAXA and CSA, supports young talents and future professionals in the space sector, fostering diversity and international cooperation. The ISEB will fund Susana Alves’s participation in the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025, the world’s largest space conference, to be held in Sydney, Australia, from 29 September to 3 October 2025.
At this international conference, the NOVA FCT student will have the opportunity to present her scientific paper, based on her master’s thesis project, the CHIRON Project (Crew Health OptImisation for emeRgencies in deep-space missiONs). This work describes the first pilot test of the simulation-based training platform, carried out during the analog lunar Asclepios V mission in Switzerland, which recreated the response to a medical emergency on a Lunar Gateway mission.
“More than an individual achievement, I hope this opportunity can inspire other NOVA FCT colleagues to believe in their dreams and pursue international experiences,” says Susana Alves.
The participation of Susana Alves at IAC 2025 not only places NOVA FCT on an international stage but also reinforces the School’s role in training students capable of contributing to major global challenges, in this case, space exploration and health in long-duration missions.
