The Spaceflight Institute (SFI) is a Toulouse-based training and research organization dedicated to human spaceflight. It brings together a core team of around 10 people and a network of more than 60 European and international experts, representing approximately 70 collaborators involved in its programs and research projects.

SFI positions itself at the heart of three major evolutions shaping human spaceflight in the 2030s: the transition from the ISS to commercial space stations in low Earth orbit; the acceleration of lunar and future Mars missions; and the emergence of new national space agencies building autonomous crewed programs.

These shifts create new training challenges: preparing a significantly larger number of professionals for crewed activities, reducing astronaut training timelines for commercial missions (from 3–5 years to around one year), and enabling continuous in-mission training for long-duration exploration.

To address these challenges, SFI develops advanced training programs and targeted R&D initiatives.

Its flagship academic program, the Human Spaceflight Certificate (HSC), is a five-month high-level program for professionals and graduates seeking to specialize in crewed space missions. It equips participants with the scientific, technical, and operational expertise required to work in the human spaceflight industry. The curriculum covers the full spectrum of crewed missions: space systems architecture, orbital environments, human factors, space medicine, life support systems, mission operations, and the sciences enabled by human spaceflight.

In parallel, SFI develops structured astronaut training programs addressing both institutional and commercial needs. The institutional track supports governmental agencies seeking to build or strengthen autonomous astronaut corps. The commercial track aims to significantly reduce traditional training timelines,  from 3–5 years to approximately one year,  through optimized curricula and competency-based progression, while maintaining the highest safety and operational standards.

Beyond training, SFI leads two major R&D initiatives.

The first focuses on optimizing training pathways through a competency-based framework supported by algorithmic tools, with the objective of accelerating operational readiness without compromising rigor. The second, developed in collaboration with CNES under the Spaceship FR program, consists of an AI-powered educational assistant designed to support continuous learning during long-duration missions, enabling astronauts to maintain and adapt their competencies in isolated and extreme environments.