PhD Student (m/f/d) „Autonomous Satellite Operations Design“

17.04.2024, Wissenschaftliches Personal

Our Chair is involved in research projects in space systems engineering and autonomous satellite technology, along with related downstream applications. The Technical University of Munich’s Chair of Spacecraft System (SPS) invites applications for a Ph.D. position in Autonomous Satellite Operations Engineering. This position is focused on advancing the state-of-the-art of autonomous satellite operations. As a Ph.D. candidate, you will contribute to the development of prototypes for autonomous control and onboard satellite systems, utilizing cutting-edge AI technologies. Your activities will include participation in other research activities of the Chair and in the supervision of teaching.

Your qualifications:

• Master’s degree in aerospace engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong interest and commitment to pursuing a Ph.D. in the field of autonomous satellite operations, encompassing both ground-based and onboard systems.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, C++, or Java.
• Experience with systems engineering and simulation tools is advantageous.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a keen attention to detail.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to effectively present research findings.
• Demonstrated commitment to transparent and reproducible research practices.

Your responsibilities

Task for the position will include:

• Conduct a comprehensive study of the state-of-the-art AI agents and underlying foundation models for the development of autonomous operation systems for spacecrafts.
• Develop and set up production environments to facilitate fine-tuning, testing, and validation of AI agents.
• Design, verify, and validate AI agents covering various disciplines to ensure a diverse range of capabilities.
• Design simulators for autonomous spacecraft operation to enable application to different mission classes and phases, facilitating comprehensive testing and evaluation.
• Assess the performance, capabilities, and trustworthiness of developed systems, ensuring readiness for real space missions.
• Analyze and publish research results in Q1 international journals and conferences to contribute to both the research community and industry.

Our offer:

We offer a full-time position as academic staff with the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree. The position will be limited to three years. Payment will be based on the Collective Agreement for the Civil Service of the Länder (TVL E13).
TUM strives to raise the proportion of women in its workforce and explicitly encourages applications from qualified women. Applications from disabled persons with essentially the same qualifications will be given prefer-ence.

„TUM is striving to increase the proportion of women, and therefore expressly welcomes applications from women.“

The position is suitable for disabled persons. Disabled applicants will be given preference in case of generally equivalent suitability, aptitude and professional performance.

Data Protection Information:
When you apply for a position with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), you are submitting personal information. With regard to personal information, please take note of the Datenschutzhinweise gemäß Art. 13 Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DSGVO) zur Erhebung und Verarbeitung von personenbezogenen Daten im Rahmen Ihrer Bewerbung. (data protection information on collecting and processing personal data contained in your application in accordance with Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)). By submitting your application, you confirm that you have acknowledged the above data protection information of TUM.

Kontakt: Chair Spacecraft Systems, [email protected]