The NANOSTAR Project is a collaborative platform which aims to provide relevant training in the development of nanosatellite space technologies through student challenges. The main goal of the project is to provide students with the experience of a real space engineering process including all stages from conception and specification, to design, assembly, integration, testing and documentation. In other words, the whole process through a network that combines high-level engineering careers and entrepreneurial ventures in the area of nanosatellites.

NANOSTAR is funded by the Interreg Sudoe Programme through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The project has a planned duration of 30 months and a total budget of 2 million euros. The consortium is composed of 7 universities and 2 aerospace clusters, plus 3 ESA Business Incubation Centres as partners; all of them located in France, Spain and Portugal.

Within the NANOSTAR programme, IDR/UPM has developed some of the main work packages, which include tasks such as the development of a methodology for the design, construction, integration and testing of nanosatellites using and adapting the ECSS standard.

NANOSTAR will train students with a high level of skills in space engineering and project engineering, so that they will be the future key players in the field of nanosatellites.