THESIS PROJECT
Minimum Viable IOD sattelite

Project Description

About

At Vinterstellar, we design tools and strategies for the future of satellite operations. We’re now offering a Master Thesis project focused on extending our in-house GEO mission simulator to cover the complete spacecraft lifecycle — from launch to end of life.

Thesis Objective

The goal is to expand Vinterstellar’s existing Python-based simulator to include Relocation and End-of-Life (Graveyard) manoeuvres, alongside the already-implemented Electrical Orbit Raising, Orbit Insertion, and Station Keeping phases. The result will be a unified, end-to-end mission analysis tool that enables consistent performance evaluation and trade-off analysis across all GEO mission phases.

What You’ll Gain

  • Deep, hands-on experience in GEO mission design and analysis
  • Insights into the full operational lifecycle of a commercial satellite
  • Skills in scientific software development and modular simulation architecture
  • A chance to contribute directly to tools used in real client projects at Vinterstellar
  • Direct collaboration with engineers and researchers in the Swedish space ecosystem

You will work on:

  • Model Development: Build models for Relocation manoeuvres (longitude changes, drift strategies, fuel/time trade-offs) and Graveyard transfers (disposal strategies, compliance with international guidelines)
  • System Integration: Connect new modules to the existing simulator, ensuring seamless data flow and phase continuity
  • KPI Definition & Analysis: Define and implement key performance indicators — including total ΔV, propellant usage per phase, and time of flight — and build tools for automated computation and comparison
  • Validation & Use Cases: Validate models against reference scenarios and run full end-to-end mission simulations

Location & Collaboration

  • Work closely with the Vinterstellar team
  • Duration: ~5 months (thesis project)
  • Flexible setup (remote or hybrid with touchpoints in Sweden)

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 (with focus on astrodynamics or GEO mission design)
  • Engineering Physics, Applied Mathematics, or similar fields
  • Computer Science with a strong interest in space systems

An ideal candidate has solid Python skills (NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib), a structured approach to software development, and a genuine interest in satellite mission engineering.