Alumni stories

Read stories from our former students and see photos of each round's class.

• Round 1 to 19
  See photos of each round's class

Per Danielsson

Sweden
(Round 16)

After SpaceMaster: Research Engineer at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics

While having several years of university studies behind me already – as well as 10 years of background in a different industry than space – the SpaceMaster program has been one of the most rewarding learning experiences of my life. With a background in building engineering, it was hard to find a natural way into the space industry. The program provided a great opportunity for me to finally pursue a long-neglected passion.
My two years in the SpaceMaster program coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, which created additional challenges for both the students and the staff at LTU. Despite this, all the teachers managed to find ways to maintain the high standard of their courses, and to help the students through a challenging and unfamiliar way of studying.

The program is very flexible in terms of course selection, and very supportive of extracurricular projects. I chose a technical profile with many engineering focused courses. The master thesis project is encouraged to be done in collaboration with industry or research institutes. I was fortunate enough to find an opportunity at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) – which is to a high degree thanks to the close collaboration between LTU and IRF – where I could focus on combining the knowledge that I had gained from courses in space physics with my interest in machine learning. During my thesis work, I got to know many people at IRF and I was able to find a position as research engineer at the institute after graduation – with a focus on software development and space weather.

The mix of students from all over the world – with different undergraduate backgrounds – creates a dynamic and creative environment. You will learn much more than what is in the syllabus of the courses. And you will make many new friends, who will also be part of your future professional network.
An additional advantage of the SpaceMaster program is the location in Kiruna. With the IRF in the same building, and with ESRANGE just a few kilometers away, there are many opportunities for internships and study visits. And as a bonus, Kiruna is also a great place if you want to watch the beautiful displays of the aurora borealis.

As a whole, I am very happy with the program and thankful that I got the chance to participate in it. I would recommend it to anyone who is passionate about space – regardless of if you have a scientific or engineering background.

Philipp Wittmann

Germany
(Round 10)

Before starting my Bachelor’s degree in Würzburg, Germany, I already heard about SpaceMaster and had decided for myself that I wanted to join this program. My first SpaceMaster semester then was in Würzburg, Germany, followed by three semesters in Kiruna, Sweden. I decided to stay in Kiruna for my third semester because I found the courses they offered and the environment very interesting, and after I got a possibility to do my Master’s thesis on a prototype of a part of an instrument which should fly to Mars, I was more than willing to stay for another semester. In addition to the unique location and environment during the studies in Kiruna, it was also possible to build up contacts with industry and research institutes, namely IRF, EISCAT and ESRANGE. During the studies we had visits to their facilities and had the chance to interact with the staff on their side.

These contacts then allowed me to continue at IRF in Kiruna as a PhD student in experimental physics. My task now is to assemble, test and calibrate an instrument, which is part of the ‘Particle Environment Package’ on board ESA’s JUICE mission, which will fly to Jupiter in 2022.
SpaceMaster gave me the possibility to meet people from across the world and gave me experiences on how to work in an international team. During the time in Kiruna, we built up deep connections to one another. This gave me friends all across the world and in addition, wherever you go within ‘Space’ Europe you will encounter other SpaceMasters, which may not be from the same round but had similar experiences as you.

Ricardo Moreno Ruano

Spain
(Round 5)

Internships: IRF, Kiruna, Sweden; Astrium, Ottobrunn, Germany
After SpaceMaster: Thales Alenia Space, Madrid, Spain

After graduating with a MSc. of Telecommunications in Spain, I joined SpaceMaster in order to give my career a more vocational view and international experience.SpaceMaster gave me the opportunity to live in four different countries, move six times and learn three languages in two years’ time.

Personally I fondly remember studying Space Dynamics in the library, among a mixture of physicists, mathematicians and engineers, each of us solving and explaining one problem applying our own studies, but all getting to the same solution. At that moment I understood what multidisciplinary means.
I experienced a vertiginous tour around Europe (and Japan) moving every 6 months or less from one country to another, learning a new language and facing new bureaucratic challenges. I took every opportunity I had at hand in order to widen my experience: I took internships at the IRF (in Kiruna) and at Astrium (currently Airbus Defense and Space, in Ottobrunn).

After those two years my professional CV changed completely: really specialized in the space sector, with experience in both scientific institutions and industry, knowledge of actors and stakeholders in the European space sector and with an engineering systems point of view.
After a short experience at a subcontractor company in Toulouse, I enrolled at Thales Alenia Space in Spain, near Madrid. Since then, I have moved my post every two years, always related to microprocessor architectures: starting in R&D mock-up design, follow-up of subcontractors, technical responsible for electronic units and finally my current post as payload architect. I even have a patent, officially becoming an inventor.

In summary, SpaceMaster prepares you to be part of today’s dynamic industrial world, apart from providing you unforgettable personal experiences.

Suditi Chand

India
(Round 13)

First Year: JMUW, Würzburg and LTU, Kiruna
Second Year: UT3, Toulouse and DLR, Bremen

I am working as a Research Scientist at the German Space Agency (DLR), in the Institute of Space Systems in Bremen, where I also did my internship in the final semester. I focus on Nano-landers for Small Solar System Bodies and the Data Analysis of MASCOT, a nano-spacecraft that visited Ryugu, a near-Earth asteroid, in 2018. I believe that the dynamic, inter-disciplinary and multi-national SpaceMaster programme has helped me harness a unique and up-to-date skill-set that has prepared me for the current job demands in the space sector. The vast spectrum of courses on spacecraft sub-systems and on data analysis and simulation tools were very beneficial. No course was purely theoretical and the hands-on training that we got was extremely valuable. To name a few memorable experiences, we got to build a FloatSat in Würzburg (first semester), analyse ionospheric data from an EISCAT network antenna and simulate the space environment using ESA software in Kiruna (second semester), and build a stratospheric balloon payload and launch it with the French Space Agency (CNES) in Toulouse (third semester).
What makes this programme exceptional is the opportunity to study in the heart of chief aerospace centres across Europe and to collaborate with industry. In Würzburg and Kiruna, we had lecture-demonstrations with engineers from ESA, Airbus, IRF, MIT (USA), EISCAT and many others. In Kiruna, we also saw what we studied about Solar Physics in the form of the mesmerising auroras. Parallel to this, I made life-long friendships and visited places like Luleå, Abisko National Park, Tromsø and the Lofoten Islands, to: experience the Arctic landscape; get a glimpse of the Sami life; trek around the Norwegian Fjords; camp in knee-deep snow in the Swedish glacier valleys; and ice-skate on the Baltic Sea. In Toulouse, our institute was in the midst of the aerospace hub. We visited important sites, heard from scientists about their role in recent missions to Mars and learned multiple types of simulation software from experienced engineers. Alongside this enriching academic exposure, I also got an opportunity to become acquainted with French culture and explore the Pyrenees.

As an aspiring space engineer, it was also very special to visit ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt and represent LTU at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne during their first Summer Showcase. Moreover, I networked with SpaceMaster Alumni at various conferences and it was inspirational to hear about their exciting roles in the development of the future of space and earth observation. Overall, the memories I made during the last two years are unforgettable and I deeply cherish the entire journey that we fondly call SpaceMaster.

Shehna Sagaria

India
(Round 12)

Internships:

4 months at Center Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier, Montpellier, France

6 months at DLR (German Aerospace Agency), Bremen, Germany (Master Thesis)

After SpaceMaster: Thermal Engineer at Space Structures GmBH, Berlin, Germany

SpaceMaster was an incredible experience, more of an opportunity to grow and learn and to understand the vast group of people in aerospace. The mix of people from 12+ countries under a single roof, trying to put together a working pico satellite during the first semester was not just a learning experience, but more of a cultural outlook into what to expect in an international work environment. Also, the mix of engineers from different fields helped me to understand the importance of each subsystem that goes into a space system, and also to realize the interconnections between them.

Intellectually and socially, The semester in the bone wrecking cold of Kiruna helped to convert our group of friends to a family, depending on each other and to enjoy what was available. I completed this course in 5 different cities, out of which my semesters were in Wûrzburg, Kiruna and Toulouse and internships in Montpellier and Bremen. The opportunity and exposure these experiences gave me were incredible, helped me to understand the nuances of what goes into making a space project successful. In short, SpaceMaster changed my outlook, gave me great friends and helped me to grow into a better individual, and mostly into a better engineer.

Anirudh Mukund Saraf

India
(Round 12)

SpaceMaster has been an enriching experience, personally and professionally. My motivation to pursue this programme resonates my passion for developing systems for space exploration. SpaceMaster has fuelled my journey to explore this passion and has been a perfect bridge between my bachelors in mechanical engineering and the exciting field of space science and technology.

During the programme, I lived in three countries: Germany, Sweden, and Denmark where I got an opportunity to explore the lengths and breadths of this fascinating field, from rocket propulsion and space instruments to market disrupting nanosatellites. Over and above that, I had an invaluable experience of learning about new cultures, languages and making friends from all over the world. Moving from tropical temperatures of 37 degrees in India to minus 27 in the winter wonderland of Kiruna was no doubt a challenge, but it was worth every degree.

Space industry in Europe has a very international setting and SpaceMaster has prepared me to perform well in it. Over the course of two years, the programme involved activities in which one had to work efficiently, both individually and in a team, which is a skill particularly useful in a space-related job. In our first semester, we were introduced the space systems by experts from the industry. This helped me to get a system level knowledge of each subsystem and more importantly helped me a choose a subsystem to specialize in. In the summer after my second semester, I interned with DLR’s Rocket Propulsion department, where I worked on the design of turbopumps. Further, in my final semester, I completed my master thesis with GomSpace working on the thermal design optimization of nanosatellites after which I joined the same company as a thermal engineer.

Now I work on the thermal design and analysis of nanosatellites by simulating orbit scenarios and predicting temperatures of components of the satellite.
In all, I believe that SpaceMaster has played a pivotal role in helping me to develop my personal and professional skills and the two years I have spent during this course have been among the best in my life. I am very glad that I decided to take up the SpaceMaster programme and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow spacemasters and the wonderful SpaceMaster staff for making it a splendid experience!

Atakan Sirin

Turkey
(Round 9)

SpaceMaster has been a unique experience for me which led me to new opportunities in space business. As I had a background in electronics engineering, the broad spectrum of lectures in the first year were especially useful to get familiar with fundamentals of space science and technology.

Later in the third semester, I chose to stay in Kiruna as it is a very active university in student projects such as the REXUS/BEXUS program. The support and resources available from LTU was very encouraging for students to pursue their own projects and ideas. Kiruna is also a unique place with proximity and connections to scientific institutes such as IRF and EISCAT as well as the rocket launch facility ESRANGE. These connections led me to pursue my masters thesis at IRF where I got hired after graduation. As of 2019, I am working at IRF as an engineer on a scientific instrument which will go on-board the European Space Agency’s Jupiter (JUICE) mission.

I believe the strength of the program comes from the multidisciplinary and international aspect, during the projects within the courses throughout the program, we always had to work as a team with people from different backgrounds with different nationalities. I have no doubt that these experiences have been an extremely valuable asset for my work skills.

Mushfiqul Alam

Bangladesh
(Round 7)

I am currently working as postdoctoral research associate at the Flight Science and Technology (FST) research group at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. My current research areas focus on: nature inspired flight control systems, inertial sensors and data fusion, nonlinear system dynamics and controls, active control of flexible aircraft and rotorcraft.

After finishing the SpaceMaster programme (Round 7), I pursued a PhD degree at the Department of Measurement, Czech Technical University, Czech Republic. My dissertation thesis was titled, “Adaptive Data Processing in Aircraft Control”, which I defended with “departmental recognition” for outstanding research achievements. My SpaceMaster studies were fully funded through the Erasmus Mundus Fellowship awarded by EACEA, EU Commission. During SpaceMaster, out of many options to specialize, I obtained specialization in Systems and Controls.

SpaceMaster provides an excellent opportunity for enhancing personal and professional learning experience during a Master’s programme. For example, the multinational cultural diversity the course brings through students and academics is truly exceptional and is worth experiencing. In addition, collaboration with a few of the world’s leading research institutions and aerospace companies provides a wide range of networking opportunities. A well comprehended course like SpaceMaster certainly increases your employability and prepares you for a position in academia or in aerospace industry.

Sergio Martín del Campo Barraza

Mexico
(Round 6)

After SpaceMaster: Post-Doc at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden

I graduated with a B.Sc. in Mechatronic Engineering in 2007 from ITESM Campus Guadalajara, Mexico. Immediately after, I started to work as Design Engineer at GE Aviation where I designed, certified and validated sensors used in aircraft engines. However, my curiosity for space, living an international experience, and further my education remained with me. Thus, I decided to apply to the SpaceMaster program, which I was admitted and I started in 2010. First, I moved to Würzburg where I had a great time in my first international experience. Afterwards, I moved to Kiruna for the second semester. An experience that truly changed my life for the best. I had always wanted to live in an exotic place and for me any place with snow was exotic enough.

My time in Kiruna is full of sweet memories and friendships that remains with me now. I enjoyed my second semester in Kiruna and decided to stay there for my second year in the engineering track. During all this time, I had the opportunity to participate in an ESA BEXUS campaign and to do an internship at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics. When the time came for my Master thesis, I had the opportunity to go to Japan and do my work at ISAS-JAXA on the calibration of a sensor part of the BepiColombo mission to Mercury. The two years of the SpaceMaster program flew by faster than I would had liked.

After SpaceMaster, I became a PhD student at Luleå University of Technology – Luleå Campus. My PhD was on machine learning for industrial applications and I completed it in 2017. It seems like I had been around many different areas but I do not see it this way. My entire education has revolved around sensors. During my time at bachelors and GE, I learned about the electrical and mechanical aspects of sensor design. In SpaceMaster, I had the opportunity to learn of the science behind the operation of any sensors. Finally, in my PhD, I learned what I can do with the data I gather from sensors. Thus, my education has allowed to go through the whole circle of sensor design, development and use. Now, I am still at LTU working as a Post-Doc and forever thankful to SpaceMaster for all the friendships and opportunities that it gave me.

Maike Neuland

Germany
(Round 5)

After I graduated from my physics studies in Germany, I was torn between starting a PhD or a job directly and continuing my studies in a more specialized field. During the physics studies I was most motivated in the subjects of particle and astroparticle physics, cosmology and air shower experiments. When I got the confirmation of being selected for the SpaceMaster programme, I was so excited. The two years of SpaceMaster studies not only gave me a broad knowledge in the field of space science and technology, planetology and space physics, but also in personal skills. I did not only get to know many of my very good friends but also many professionals and splendors in the field of space research. The experience of studying and living in very special places, like Kiruna in the very North of Sweden, made this time for me unique. On the one hand having international dinners in Würzburg, seeing the northern lights in Kiruna, exploring the Pyrenees near Toulouse and finally going snowboarding in the Swiss Alps, but also on the other hand visiting ESA headquarters, the Esrange rocket launch site and getting an internship in the rocket propulsion section of DLR during the summer break made these two years a perfect time in balance between studying, exploring and experiencing.

After Spacemaster I did a PhD in Bern/Switzerland in the Division of Space Research and Planetary Sciences, where I also did my Master Thesis. I was working on laser mass spectrometry for planetary exploration. First with a fellowship funding and now as an employee I am back at IRF Kiruna working on instrumentation and testing facilities for future space instruments.
A few years ago I couldn’t have imagined that I one day I would be standing as a teacher in that room at LTU, where I was sitting as a student myself. Teaching courses in the SpaceMaster programme it is great to see that the SpaceMaster family keeps growing.

I have a strong network of SpaceMaster friends all around the world and wherever I go to present my work at a conference around Europe, I can be sure to run into a handful of SpaceMasters!