Spacecrafts

The topic of this thesis is advertised by Airbus Defense and Space. Applications must be made via the official call for applications.

University supervision is offered by the Chair of Flight Mechanics and Flight Control. Please contact us after a successful application.
Good luck.

Call for applications:

You are looking for a master thesis and want to get to know the work of an engineer? Then apply now! We look forward to you supporting us in the AOCS/GNC & Flight Dynamics department as a Masterand (d/f/m)!

• Location: Immenstaad

• Start: As soon as possible

• Duration: 6 months

Thesis topic

When a satellite's control system is switched-on for the first time in orbit, it must operate as specified. Compared to other disciplines, in space, test campaigns within the final operational environment are not feasible. To make it even more challenging, considering uncertainty within robustness analysis is crucial, since every real physical system contains uncertain parameters.

The uncertainty analysis helps to quantify the influence of the uncertain parameters. The analysis ends up in the computation of a probability integral. For nontrivial simulation models, the integral is not solvable analytically. It has to be approximated numerically. Unfortunately, both accurate and efficient numerical integration of possibly high-dimensional integrals is limited by finite computational resources.

This thesis shall investigate advanced Monte Carlo algorithms Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) for accelerating Verification and Validation of Attitude and Orbital Control Systems (AOCS), e.g., Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) [Betancourt, A Conceptual Introduction to Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, 2018, arXiv:1701.02434]. Especially for performance requirements specified with a given probability level (of confidence), the method of HMC promises superior convergence compared to conventional approaches, e.g., (Markov Chain) Monte Carlo.

Current Earth-observations missions will serve as benchmark application examples.

Your location

At the Airbus site in Friedrichshafen you will be working on innovation where others spend their holidays. Enjoy panoramic views of Lake Constance while having lunch in our canteen. And after work, join one of our many corporate sports groups to go running, sailing or skiing.

Your benefits

• Attractive salary and work-life balance with a 35-hour week (flexitime).

• Mobile working after agreement with the department.

• International environment with the opportunity to network globally.

• Work with modern/diversified technologies.

• At Airbus, we see you as a valuable team member and you are not hired to brew coffee, instead you are in close contact with the interfaces and are part of our weekly team meetings.

• Opportunity to participate in the Generation Airbus Community to expand your own network.

You will learn about

Applied statistics and uncertainty quantification, spacecraft attitude dynamics, autopilot robustness analysis.

Your tasks and responsibilities

• Develop deep understanding of Monte Carlo, Markov Chain Monte Carlo, and HMC algorithms

• Preparation and implementation of reference scenario for the AOCS Acquisition and Safe Mode

• Perform uncertainty analysis, based on existing toolboxes, e.g., Stan library

• Application to benchmark scenario

• Detailed comparison and assessment of efficiency gain

• Documentation of results

Desired skills and qualifications

• Enrolled full time master student (d/f/m) within Aerospace Engineering or Cybernetics or similar field of study

• Strong in math and statistics

• First experience in uncertainty quantification beneficial

• Very good knowledge of MATLAB / Simulink

• Python, Julia, C++, or R helpful

• Languages: fluent in English (German is an asset)

Motivation:

The sloshing behavior in the main tanks of a liquid rocket has a significant influence on its flight dynamics and can lead to the loss of the rocket in extreme cases. It is therefore important that these effects are taken into account when designing the controller for a rocket in order to guarantee the success of the mission. As part of this research project, an already non-linear simulation environment of the chair is to be expanded to include sloshing dynamics.

Task definition:

• Literature research on the modeling of fuel sloshing at different mission times (launch, stage separation, landing)

• Literature research on active/passive damping methods and their modeling

• Derivation of a model for propellant sloshing in the main tanks of a liquid rocket for v

• Implementation in a non-linear simulation environment in Matlab/Simulink

• Design of a controller for active damping of the propellant slosh

• Verification through reference missions

Contact person:

© M. Kretschmar

Research Assistant

Name

Dipl.-Ing. Frederik Thiele

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Contact Information

Organization Name

Chair of Flight Mechanics and Control

Chair of Flight Mechanics and Control

Address work

Visiting address:

WIK Windkanal, Room 18 Marschnerstraße 28

01307 Dresden

work Tel.

fax Fax

+49 351 463-38187

Motivation

Control systems for the autonomous landing of reusable rocket stages or on celestial bodies such as the moon or Mars must demonstrate a high degree of robustness and reliability. In most cases, test runs on the real object are not practically feasible without taking high financial risks due to a potential failure. The VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) test platform EAGLE (Environment for Autonomous GNC Landing Experiments) developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) offers the possibility of testing planned controller architectures ahead of time on a system with comparable, generally unstable system dynamics. In the future, the capabilities will be expanded to imitate the real behavior of spacecraft and thus verify the controllers designed for the mission.

The EAGLE's main thrust system currently consists of a kerosene-fueled turbine. This results in a high level of complexity in operation and maintenance, as well as in ensuring safe flight operations with high operating costs and low flexibility. For this reason, a conversion to a comparably powerful electric propulsion system is to be conceptually explored as part of this student project/diploma thesis. This should be able to be operated by built-in batteries, but also by cable if longer test campaigns with short distances are planned. The aim of the work is to find a configuration of a purely electrically powered EAGLE that represents an optimal compromise between capabilities and the effort/cost of the conversion.

Task description

• Analysis of the existing thrust system
• Research into the electrification of the thrust system
• Detailed comparison of possible conversion variants
• Selection and documentation of the best configuration

© S. Ellger

Research Assistant

Name

Dipl.-Ing. Carl-Johann Winkler

Send email

Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).

Contact Information

Organization Name

Chair of Flight Mechanics and Control

Chair of Flight Mechanics and Control

Address work

Visiting address:

WIK Windkanal, room 18 Marschnerstraße 28

01307 Dresden

work Tel.

fax Fax

+49 351 463-38187