Job Description:

In order to support the AOCS, GNC & FD department, Airbus Defence and Space is looking for a

Master student in the field of AOCS, GNC & FD (d/f/m), Attitude and angular momentum control for Starlab

Are you looking for a final year project? Would you like to discover the work of an engineer? Then apply now! We look forward to you joining us. The AOCS, GNC & FD department is in charge of attitude and orbit control systems (AOCS), Guidance/Navigation/Control (GNC), flight dynamics (FD), and control engineering for all kinds of spacecraft. This includes aspects such as modeling, design, synthesis, and verification & validation of the AOCS/GNC system.

• Location: Friedrichshafen

• Start: 01.02.2025

• Duration: 6 Monate

Thesis topic

Starlab is a commercial space station planned to succeed the ISS as humanity’s outpost in low Earth orbit. Airbus Defence and Space is the European founding partner of the international Starlab Space joint venture and is responsible, amongst others, for the station’s attitude and orbit control system (AOCS).

In its low Earth orbit, Starlab is subjected to various environmental disturbances such as gravity gradients and atmospheric torques. These disturbances lead to a build-up of angular momentum and can saturate the station’s primary attitude control actuators. A momentum offloading could in principle be performed using thrusters, but this consumes fuel and disturbs the micro gravity environment required by many science experiments on board.

Your task will therefore be to investigate more suitable strategies to control Starlab’s attitude and angular momentum, building upon the heritage of other space stations and internal developments.

You will learn about

Starlab space station, spacecraft systems engineering, multi-body dynamics and modelling, spacecraft control, being part of project team in a challenging space mission.

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.

Your tasks and responsibilities

• Understanding of the dynamical behaviour of the Starlab space station in all its configurations

• Familiarization with existing approaches to control attitude and angular momentum of large LEO spacecraft (e.g. ISS, Tiangong)

• Set up the generic control problem for all station configurations and uncertainties

• Trade off different control loop structures

• Documentation of the work

 Desired skills and qualifications

• Your are an enrolled full time student (d/f/m) within Aerospace and Control Engineering or a similar field 

• Very good knowledge of rotational and multi-body dynamics and robust control

• Very good knowledge of MATLAB / Simulink

• Structured and proactive way of working

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

Please upload the following documents: cover letter, CV, relevant transcripts, enrollment certificate. 

Not a 100% match? No worries! Airbus supports your personal growth.

Take your career to a new level and apply online now!

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

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