Portrait of Professor Tajmar
Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Martin Tajmar has held the Chair of Space Systems since March 2012 and has been Director of the Institute of Aerospace Engineering since November 2014. He was born in Vienna in 1974.
Without space systems ... there would be no navigation system in the car, no satellite TV at home, no good weather forecast (if there is one at all!) ... and we would not even be able to ask many current scientific questions such as "What is dark energy?". Space travel not only makes new observations possible, it is also a technology driver for innovations - the prime example of this is the Teflon non-stick coating on frying pans. The aerospace engineer is faced with the challenge of developing a system with the lowest weight and lowest energy consumption - and, incidentally, it has to function absolutely maintenance-free for 15 years in a vacuum environment with strong temperature fluctuations. So it's no wonder that many other industries, such as the automotive and energy sectors, are keen to recruit these engineers. It is also incredibly fascinating to construct a spacecraft that sends images from distant planets to Earth or to drive around Mars with a rover and search for life far away from Earth. Space travel is fun - at any age!
Being a professor... for me means being able to inspire young people for my dream job. The university stage of life is very important and shapes the rest of your professional life. That's why, as a professor, you have a great responsibility to teach the basics, but also the ability to work in a team and get to grips with research and development. The freedom of the university is unique, allowing you to try out new things, make contacts around the world and conduct research in a young and dynamic environment. For a scientist, there is no better place to work.
Students ... should make the most of their time at university to develop their skills and gain experience. The best student is the one who does what he or she likes to do best. Because only what we like to do, we do really well - the same applies to the professor, of course!
Future ... The time of great space travel euphoria was in the 1960s when the Americans flew to the moon. Today, space travel is hidden in our everyday lives (e.g. GPS) and therefore needs to be better communicated to the public. Of course, it is impossible to imagine high technology and research without it - and perhaps there will be another "race" between Asia and the USA/Europe with the aim of flying the first humans to Mars. And we at TU Dresden have to be there!
If I could study again ... In Austria, there was no opportunity to study aerospace engineering - that's why I studied physics. I think I would still study physics today because I am so fascinated by the basics and I want to discover and develop something really new. Space travel is the ideal environment to actually put something new into practice. That's why I simply can't imagine a better combination!
Excellence ... for me means the chance to be recognized even better and to be able to invest in the future of our students in the best possible way. Excellence is important in order to attract the best students and to be strongly positioned in the research funding environment.