Space Systems Engineering

Space (vehicle) engineering is a field where state of the art technologies are applied every day.
It is an exciting profession in which physical sciences, mathematics, and computers are combined in the design of space (vehicle) systems and their components to achieve high performance with limited size and weight. The chair Space Systems Engineering (SSE) of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering (AE), Delft University of Technology, aims to educate future academic engineers in the field of space and spacecraft systems engineering.

Space Systems engineers are involved from concept design and new technology innovation through design, fabrication and verification of state-of-the-art instrumentation and spacecraft systems. Areas of interest include mission analysis and design and development, instruments, calibration engineering, instrument performance modelling and simulation, and spacecraft systems engineering.

Spacecraft (systems) engineers deal with the engineering of spacecraft/space vehicles (satellites, deep space probes, launchers). They are involved in the design and development of spacecraft systems from concept development and mission feasibility analysis through system verification. They work with multi-institutional customer design teams to formulate spacecraft system solutions. They will lead multi-disciplinary engineering design teams developing, analysing, and flowing down system and subsystem requirements. They should possess a working knowledge of all spacecraft subsystems with detailed experience designing and developing one or more spacecraft subsystems.

The chair of Space Systems Engineering also performs research into various aspects of satellite design and development, including:

• Design and analysis of space vehicles with hands-on experience for students on real spacecraft projects
• Mission Concept Exploration
• Systems Engineering
• Assembly, Integration and Test of space vehicles
• Operations simulations
• Space propulsion system design and development

The chair performs parts of its research in close cooperation with other disciplinary groups of the faculty of Aerospace Engineering, other faculties of the TU Delft and also parties outside the university.
The chair of Space Systems Engineering is member of DIMES , Delft Institute of Microsystems and Nanoelectronics.
The chair also maintains a study collection of space related hardware to support education.
For an overview of the companies where SSE students have found their jobs, click here.

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