125th Anniversary Scholarship for Black British Researchers - Satellite Re-entry Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Improved Space Sustainability

We are seeking an enthusiastic and capable individual to join our team as a PhD researcher in the development of instrumentation and models to monitor and quantify satellite re-entries. The successful candidate will work with multi-disciplinary researchers based in the Colleges of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Life and Environmental Sciences. They will work with their supervisors and colleagues on enhancing understanding in a critical area to enable the ESA to fulfil its commitments as set out in the Zero Debris Charter.

The LEO space environment is far more crowded than ever before, with mega-constellations of commercially owned satellites (Starlink and OneWeb) comprising a large proportion of operational LEOsats providing vital services including Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Current international guidelines state that all satellites must be removed from the LEO protected region within five years of end of mission, through deorbit or transfer to a graveyard orbit, which is a significant reduction from the previous 25-year rule. The consequence of this change, alongside the large population of commercial LEOsats which will reach their end-of-life in the near future, on the Earth’s atmosphere is not well understood. This scholar will focus on two aspects of the re-entry issue: monitoring of individual satellites, and quantification of bulk re-entry through the atmosphere. Current techniques for surveillance and tracking of space objects are reliant on large, ground-based infrastructure, and are limited in the size range and viewing aspect of their detection capabilities. Our 125th anniversary scholar will explore novel sensor techniques to detect and characterise the behaviour of satellites [1,2], as well as simulate the re-entry of a large number of satellites under various future scenarios. This knowledge is crucial for ensuring the sustainable use of space and mitigating potential risks to our planet.

You can find more information via the above ‘Apply’ button.

Funding Details 

Additional Funding Information 

The University of Birmingham is proud to celebrate its remarkable 125-year journey and announce the launch of a groundbreaking scholarship initiative designed to empower and support Black British researchers in their pursuit of doctoral education.

These newly established 3.5-year scholarships aim to address underrepresentation and create opportunities for talented individuals from diverse backgrounds to excel in academia. You can find out more here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/funding/black-british-researchers-scholarship

Closing Date: 30/04/2025

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