This work analyses the academic trajectory and professional activities of space science specialists who received their Masters and PhD degrees in graduate programs offered by the Brazilian Institute for Space Research (INPE). The analysis is based on data about 1,098 graduates who got their degrees in Astronomy, Space Geophysics, Meteorology, Space Technology and Remote Sensing between 1968 and 2009. The results show the relevance of the graduate education they received to the development of activities in space science in the country. It also documents the importance of developing evaluation tools so that graduate programs in general and INPE in particular can better plan its capacity building activities.