spacecraft PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

Investigation of the potential of using magnetic reconnection as the method of acceleration within spacecraft propulsion

University of Southampton Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Supervisory Team. Dr Charlie Ryan, Dr Alex Wittig. Project description. This PhD project will aim to investigate the potential of using magnetic reconnection within a plasma propulsion thruster for spacecraft, and exciting and novel topic within the field. Read more

Supervisor: Dr C Ryan

31 August 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

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Spacecraft Trajectory Optimisation

University of Auckland Department of Physics

The University of Auckland is developing a research programme in low delta-v spacecraft trajectory optimisation. We are looking for a PhD candidate to continue work in this area and develop our existing algorithms. Read more

Supervisor: Dr N Rattenbury

Year round applications PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Exploring the Time-Dependence of Kinetic Structure at Earth’s Bow Shock

University of Southampton Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Supervisory Team: Imogen Gingell. Project description. When the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere, it is heated and slowed from supersonic to subsonic speeds at the bow shock. Read more

Supervisor: Dr I Gingell

31 August 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Interplanetary Spacecraft Missions

University of Southampton Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Supervisory Team. Hanna Sykulska-Lawrence. Project description. Read more

Supervisor: Dr H Sykulska-Lawrence

31 August 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Investigation of the lifetime limiting effects within electrospray thruster spacecraft propulsion

University of Southampton Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Supervisory Team. Dr Charlie Ryan, Dr Alex Wittig. Project description. Typical high performance electric propulsion options for large satellites, such as gridded ion thrusters or Hall Effect thrusters, do not work well for nano satellites. Read more

Supervisor: Dr C Ryan

31 August 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

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Modelling and Analysis Methods for Satellite Aerodynamics in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO)

The University of Manchester Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering

Operation of spacecraft in very low Earth orbits (VLEO), those below 450 km in altitude, is becoming more commonplace. Read more

Supervisors: Dr H. Crisp, Dr P Roberts

Year round applications PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Kinetic-scale Structures at Interplanetary Shockwaves

University of Southampton Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Supervisory Team: Imogen Gingell. Project description. Plasma is continuously ejected into interplanetary space by the sun, forming the ‘solar wind’. Read more

Supervisor: Dr I Gingell

31 August 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Motion Planning in Autonomous Robots

University of Salford School of Science, Engineering and Environment

Information on this PhD research area can be found further down this page under the details about the Widening Participation Scholarship given immediately below. Read more

Supervisor: Prof W Holderbaum

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

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Plasma Propulsion for Space Applications

University of Auckland Department of Physics

The University of Auckland is conducting research into electric propulsion systems for small spacecraft. Read more

Supervisor: Dr N Rattenbury

Year round applications PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Autonomous Reconfiguration, Deployment, and Management of Self-Aware Modular Space Robots

University of York School of Physics, Engineering and Technology

Research Group: Intelligent Systems and Robotics

Modular and dynamically reconfigurable space hardware systems are a high priority for research and development as they can significantly decrease development costs, facilitate multiple payloads, and enable indefinite lifetime extension for space missions. Read more

Supervisor: Dr M A Post

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

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Space Trajectory Classification using Machine Learning

University of Southampton Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Supervisory Team: Dr Alexander Wittig, Dr Davide Amato (external, from Imperial). Project description. Interest in more complex dynamics of space trajectories beyond perturbed Keplerian dynamics is rapidly growing. Read more

Supervisor: Dr A Wittig

31 August 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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High precision time-resolved thrust measurement and Two-dimensional plasma plume diagnostics

University of Southampton Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Supervisory Team: Min Kwan Kim (80%) / Alexander Wittig (20%). Project description. This exciting PhD project offers a unique opportunity to develop a high precision time-resolved thrust balance and optical diagnostics to characterise the spatial distribution of plasma plume generated by a plasma thruster. Read more

Supervisor: Dr M K Kim

31 August 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

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Discovering exoplanets around compositionally-diverse stars across the Milky Way by mitigating stellar signals

University of Warwick Department of Physics

We invite applications from outstanding and highly motivated students for the Warwick Prize Scholarships in Astrophysics. The successful applicant will work with Dr Thomas Wilson within the Astronomy and Astrophysics group in the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick. Read more

Supervisor: Dr T Wilson

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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We have 13 spacecraft PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

spacecraft PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

We have 13 spacecraft PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

Investigation of the potential of using magnetic reconnection as the method of acceleration within spacecraft propulsion

Spacecraft Trajectory Optimisation

Exploring the Time-Dependence of Kinetic Structure at Earth’s Bow Shock

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Interplanetary Spacecraft Missions

Investigation of the lifetime limiting effects within electrospray thruster spacecraft propulsion

Modelling and Analysis Methods for Satellite Aerodynamics in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO)

Kinetic-scale Structures at Interplanetary Shockwaves

Motion Planning in Autonomous Robots

Plasma Propulsion for Space Applications

Autonomous Reconfiguration, Deployment, and Management of Self-Aware Modular Space Robots

Space Trajectory Classification using Machine Learning

High precision time-resolved thrust measurement and Two-dimensional plasma plume diagnostics

Discovering exoplanets around compositionally-diverse stars across the Milky Way by mitigating stellar signals

We have 13 spacecraft PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

spacecraft PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

We have 13 spacecraft PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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