THESIS PROJECT
Mission / System Concept Study: Tethered Camera In-Orbit Demonstrator for Relative Navigation

Project Description

About

At Vinterstellar, we’re developing next-generation space systems that combine simplicity with autonomy.
In this thesis, you’ll explore compact and elegant in-orbit demonstration concepts — a tethered camera satellite for relative navigation and local space situational awareness (LSSA).

Optical navigation and local situational awareness are essential capabilities for future autonomous spacecraft.
This concept envisions a small satellite carrying a camera and a passive target connected by a tether, enabling visual tracking, pose estimation, and relative navigation using purely optical means — a self-contained, minimalistic demonstration of autonomy in orbit.

Thesis Objective

Your task will be to perform a Mission and System Concept Study of a small tethered In-Orbit Demonstrator (IOD) for relative navigation and LSSA.

You will identify the main mission drivers, evaluate system-level design solutions, and define a feasible mission architecture that could serve as the foundation for a future flight demonstration.

What You’ll Gain

  • Experience in end-to-end mission concept development

  • Deep insights into optical navigation, tether dynamics, and LSSA

  • Hands-on practice with systems engineering and mission analysis tools

  • Collaboration with Vinterstellar engineers and academic partners

  • A chance to contribute to the future of autonomous spacecraft operations

 

You will work on:

  • Mission Definition: Orbit selection, operations concept, and demonstration objectives.

  • System Sizing & Design: Preliminary design of the satellite, tether, and camera system — including mass, power, stability, and imaging parameters.

  • System Drivers: Identify key challenges such as tether dynamics, illumination, image quality, and attitude control.

  • Trade Studies: Evaluate design alternatives and develop viable solutions for the main system drivers.

  • Mission Architecture: Define the resulting satellite configuration, mission concept, and launch/deployment strategy.

Research Questions

The thesis will address a set of system-level questions to identify key design drivers and assess feasible solutions for a tethered camera IOD, including:

Camera IOD

  • What are the functional and performance requirements for the camera payload?

  • To what extent can existing optical hardware meet these requirements in orbit?

Tether Payload

  • What is the current technology readiness for tether materials and deployment mechanisms?

  • How do tether length and gravity-gradient stability affect dynamics and measurement accuracy?

  • How can satellite articulation be used to control or observe relative motion along the tether?

    Spacecraft and Mission

    • What spacecraft configuration and orbit best support illumination, power, and observation conditions?

    • How can launch and deployment strategies be optimized for simplicity and reliability?

    Programmatic Aspects

    • What are the expected lead times for key equipment and frequency coordination?

    • How sensitive is the concept to cost, mass, and schedule constraints?

    Location & Collaboration

    • Work closely with Vinterstellar engineers

    • Supervised by Vinterstellar AB, Stockholm. Academic collaboration possible with KTH Department of Control or Technical Mathematics

    • Duration: ~4 months (Feasibility Study / Phase 0-A)

    How to Apply

    Send your CV, transcript, and a short motivation letter to: career@vinterstellar.se

    Applications reviewed continuously.

    Who Should Apply?

    We’re looking for motivated master’s students in:

    • Space Engineering

    • Systems Engineering

    • Applied Physics

    You should have strong analytical and modeling skills (MATLAB or Python) and an interest in mission design, optical navigation, and experimental space systems.