Research assistant - PhD

The Chair of Space Technology at TU Berlin we are coordinating an international research consortium for project gEICko - GEcko based Innovative Capture Kit for uncooperative and unprepared Orbital assets. gEICko’s main objective is to develop a payload to TRL4 that can be hosted by a on-orbit-servicer satellite and enables to capture uncooperative and unprepared spacecraft for repairing or de-orbiting. The research project is funded by the European Union’s EIC Pathfinder programme with four million euros over the next 3 years, with a third of the total being paid to TU Berlin.
Besides the project coordination, TU Berlin will play also a main role in the realization of the capture mechanism, the hardware-in-the-loop test facility and will also contribute to the realization of the guidance, navigation and control system for rendezvous and docking. The On-Orbit Servicing and Autonomous Spaceflight team of the Chair of Space Technology is looking for a new researcher to strengthen its support to the gEICko project.

• Design of the GNC systems for rendezvous and docking with main focus on the navigation part
• Development of visual-based navigation algorithms and implementation of flight software code
• Validation and verification of GNC software by software- and hardware-in-the-loop testing
• Responsible for the development, validation and operations of the rendezvous and docking testing facility including an air-bearing table, two robotic arms and reproduction of in-orbit-representative lighting and background conditions
• Supervision of students in the context of student projects as well as final theses
• Leading or contributing to proposal preparations for third party-funded projects
• Writing project documentation and scientific publications

• Successfully completed scientific university studies (Diplom, Master or equivalent) and PhD in the STEM field dealing with space formation flying and visual-based navigation
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing algorithms for visual-based navigation, including feature detection, image processing, pose estimation and tracking techniques using visual data from cameras or other sensors
• Experience with state estimation algorithms and Kalman filters for spacecraft navigation
• Experience in development and testing of guidance, navigation, and control systems
• Proficiency in C/C++ software development and testing
• good knowledge of German and/or English required; willingness to acquire the respective missing language skills
• Perennial hands-on project experience on visual-based navigation desirable
• Experience in setting up and running a laboratory is a plus
• Familiarity with Python and ROS software development and testing, and embedded programming desirable
• Experience in supervising or contributing to student projects is a plus

• An inclusive and appreciative working atmosphere in a committed and multidisciplinary team
• The possibility to work in complex and challenging research and development projects with international partners
• A wide range of further training opportunities
• The compatibility of family and career through flexible working time models
• The opportunity to partly work from home

Please send your application, stating the reference number exclusively by email bundled in one PDF document to Prof. Dr. Stoll (e.stoll@tu-berlin.de) via sergio.de.florio@tu-berlin.de.

By submitting your application via email you consent to having your data electronically processed and saved. Please note that we do not provide a guarantee for the protection of your personal data when submitted as unprotected file. Please find our data protection notice acc. DSGVO (General Data Protection Regulation) at the TU staff department homepage: https://www.abt2-t.tu-berlin.de/menue/themen_a_z/datenschutzerklaerung.

To ensure equal opportunities between women and men, applications by women with the required qualifications are explicitly desired. Qualified individuals with disabilities will be favored. The TU Berlin values the diversity of its members and is committed to the goals of equal opportunities. Applications from people of all nationalities and with a migration background are very welcome.