THESIS PROJECT
Night Shelter for Lunar Rover

Project Description

About

At Vinterstellar, we’re developing advanced space system concepts that enable the next generation of exploration missions — from low-Earth orbit to the lunar surface.
In this thesis, you’ll explore one of the fundamental challenges of lunar operations: surviving the two-week lunar night.

Lunar surface missions face extreme thermal conditions, with nighttime temperatures dropping below –170°C. These conditions pose major challenges for micro-rovers, which are increasingly used for exploration, prospecting, and technology demonstration.
To address this, Vinterstellar is investigating a deployable regolith-insulated “thermal shelter” — designed to provide a survivable thermal and radiation environment that can extend rover lifetime and operational capacity.

The project builds on real-world developments in the lunar exploration ecosystem, such as ispace’s micro-rovers, and aims to define how small-scale surface infrastructure could enhance the resilience of future missions.

Thesis Objective

To investigate the feasibility, design, and performance of a regolith-insulated thermal shelter for lunar micro-rovers, focusing on thermal regulation during the lunar night and partial radiation shielding.
The study will also explore integration with rover operations, including ingress/egress, deployment, and energy management strategies.

What You’ll Gain

  • Deep understanding of lunar surface mission challenges and environmental constraints

  • Practical experience in thermal modeling, CAD design, and system analysis

  • Exposure to ISRU-based design approaches and small-scale lunar infrastructure concepts

  • Collaboration with Vinterstellar, KTH, and potential industry partners such as ispace

  • A chance to contribute to the future of sustainable lunar exploration

You will work on:

  • Concept Development: Define functional requirements and design principles for a regolith-insulated thermal shelter.

  • Thermal Modeling: Simulate thermal behavior across the lunar day–night cycle using finite element analysis (FEA) or similar tools.

  • Structural and Deployment Design: Explore feasible geometries and mechanisms for storing the shelter on the lander (or rover) and for surface deployment and covering in regolith.

  • Integration with Rover Operations: Define interfaces for rover ingress/egress, charging, and communication.

  • Case Study Application: Apply the concept to a representative micro-rover platform, inspired by ispace’s lunar rover developments.

  • (Optional): Prototype or test insulation materials or structural elements in a laboratory setting.

Research Questions

The thesis will explore and quantify key design drivers for a lunar thermal shelter, including:

  • What thermal insulation performance can be achieved using lunar regolith in a shelter configuration?

  • What structural and deployment designs are optimal for use on the lunar surface?

  • How can the shelter be integrated with micro-rover operations, including energy management and mechanical interfaces?

  • What additional benefits — such as radiation shielding or dust protection — can be realized through such a design?

Location & Collaboration

  • Work closely with Vinterstellar engineers

  • Academic Supervisor: Christer Fuglesang, KTH
  • Industry Supervisor: Björn Fhager, Vinterstellar AB
  • Industry Support: Ertan Ümit, ispace (TBC)

  • 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:

  • Aerospace Engineering

  • Applied Physics

  • Mechanical Engineering

or similar, with an interest in thermal systems, lunar environments, and mission design.