Academy news

What to expect at Vesta Survey Field Week

On 20 December 2026, Vesta Survey Range in Vesta hosts Vesta Survey Field Week.

Landing a Cascade in Martian dust: why descent training never stops

The last thirty seconds of a Cascade Dropship descent are the most dangerous in spaceflight. Here is how we prepare pilots for brownout, boulders and aborts.

Save the date: Passenger Liner Command Information Evening

Mark 22 November 2026 in your calendar. Passenger Liner Command Information Evening comes to Olympus Ring Passenger Terminal, Lounge 3, Olympus Ring.

Never let a tether feel tight: lessons from salvage tug training

Capturing a tumbling derelict with a Basilisk Salvage Tug is equal parts physics and patience. Our salvage instructor shares what he teaches every cohort.

From pilot to teacher: why we are expanding the instructor course

Demand for flight training is outgrowing the supply of instructors. Here is what our Flight Instructor Certificate involves and why we are adding places.

What examiners actually look for on a check ride

Our chief examiner explains how check rides are scored, the most common reasons candidates fail, and why perfect flying is not the point.

Months from help: what it takes to command the Odyssey

Commanding an Odyssey Deep Explorer beyond Saturn means making irreversible decisions far from any help. Our training commander explains how we prepare candidates.

Certification guide: Planetary Descent Endorsement

The Planetary Descent Endorsement is issued by the IFSB with the Mars Settlement Landing Board and sits in the endorsement category. It authorises the following: Crewed powered descents and ascents in the Cascade…

Save the date: Shuttle Operations: November Intake Welcome

Mark 7 December 2026 in your calendar. Shuttle Operations: November Intake Welcome comes to Shackleton Base Training Wing, Kestrel Hangar, Luna.

Courier & Interceptor Rating: next cohort starts January 2188

Our Advanced course Courier & Interceptor Rating opens its next intake in January 2188, and seats are being allocated now.

Burning your own cargo: nuclear thermal flying on the Tempest

The Tempest Ice Runner refuels from the water it carries. That makes it uniquely self-sufficient, and uniquely demanding for its pilots.

Low and slow: the art of survey flying in the Valkyrie

The Valkyrie Survey Corvette can cross the solar system fast, but its real work happens a few hundred metres above a tumbling rock. Here is how we teach it.

What to expect at Instructor Standards Conference

On 10 December 2026, Tasman Field Conference Centre in Oceania hosts Instructor Standards Conference.

Preview: Medevac Flight Operations: November Cohort Induction

Medevac Flight Operations: November Cohort Induction takes place on 13 November 2026 at Olympus Ring Medical Flight Bay 4, Olympus Ring.

Alone at 1,450 km/s: fatigue and the single-pilot courier

The biggest risk to an Aurora Mk II courier pilot is not the ship. It is the pilot's own tiredness on day four of an express run.

Your route to the Tempest Ice Runner Type Rating

Many pilots ask how to obtain the Tempest Ice Runner Type Rating. It is issued by the Halcyon Type Certification Office, co-signed by the IFSB in the type rating category. Scope: Any of the three pilot seats on the…

What to expect at Salvage Tug Check Ride Week

On 5 December 2026, Lumen Orbital Range, Debris Sector 7 in L5 Lagrange Station hosts Salvage Tug Check Ride Week.

What it takes to earn the Medevac Operations Endorsement

Holders of the Medevac Operations Endorsement, granted by the IFSB with the Orbital Aeromedical Council in the endorsement category, are certified as follows: Rescue and air-ambulance missions in the Seraph Medevac with…

Fitness to fly: aeromedical checks, radiation and long-duration health

Every Lumen student needs an aeromedical certificate, and some courses need much more. Our senior flight medical officer explains what to expect.

Now enrolling: Survey Corvette Rating

Applications are open for the next intake of Survey Corvette Rating, a Intermediate-level course at Lumen Pilot Academy. The cohort begins in November 2187.

What to expect at Belt Pilot Careers Fair

On 28 November 2026, Ceres Commerce Concourse in Ceres hosts Belt Pilot Careers Fair.

What it takes to earn the Aurora Mk II Type Rating

Holders of the Aurora Mk II Type Rating, granted by the Halcyon Type Certification Office, co-signed by the IFSB in the type rating category, are certified as follows: Pilot in command of the Aurora Mk II single-seat…

Rewriting Shuttle Operations around two-crew flying

Why we rebuilt our commercial licence course around the Kestrel's two-pilot cockpit, and what it changed for graduates.

What to expect at Dropship Descent Check Ride Day

On 19 November 2026, Arsia Plateau Training Pad in Mars hosts Dropship Descent Check Ride Day.