Franziska Tuttas: RGD Best Student Paper Award (2026)
The ATLAS team congratulates one of our doctoral researchers, Ms. Franziska Tuttas, for winning a coveted Best Student Paper Award at this year's 34th International Symposium on Rarefied Gas Dynamics in Brisbane, Australia, for her contribution titled "Modeling of Chemically Reactive Gas Flows for Multi-Scale Problems".
This year's iteration of the biennial RGD was held from 13 to 17 July 2026 and featured presentations given by three ATLAS researchers, each presenting on their respective research progress on gas-surface interactions in rarefied VLEO-relevant flow environments.
Franziska Tuttas: Zia Fellowship (2025)
We are proud to announce that our PhD candidate Franziska Tuttas has been selected as one of the Zia - Visible Women in Science & Humanities Fellows 2025 of the ZEIT publishing group!
The Zia – Visible Women in Science & Humanities Fellowship honors 25 exceptional early-career researchers each year — strengthening networks, fostering personal and professional development, and increasing visibility for women in science.
At the CRC 1667 ATLAS, we are especially delighted to see Franziska's dedication and achievements recognized on a national level.
She conducts her research in the field of rarefied gas flow simulation using the particle code PICLas, contributing essential insights to our understanding of gas–surface interactions in VLEO both at the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) and the Institute for Modelling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems (IWS). Her parallel work in research software and data management strengthens ATLAS-wide data structures and enables a more efficient, transparent collaboration across our consortium.
Beyond her academic achievements, she is an active member of the doctoral researchers' representation within the Universität Stuttgart, volunteers as a lifeguard, and is always ready to support colleagues with an open ear.
Following the virtual kick-off, Franziska attended the Zia opening event in Berlin from 07 to 10 November 2025, connecting with other fellows and inspiring role models.
We congratulate her warmly on this achievement and are excited to see the new perspectives, impulses, and networks she will bring back into ATLAS.
A big Thank You to the Zia team for the excellent organization and for promoting visibility, collaboration, and women's empowerment in science!
Constantin Traub: Bürkert Prize (2025)
As part of the University of Stuttgart's 2025 Anniversary Celebration, postdoctoral researcher Dr. Constantin Traub was awarded the prestigious Bürkert University Prize. The prize recognizes his outstanding dissertation entitled “Differential Aerodynamic Forces as a Means to Control Satellite Formation Flight,” which was written at the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) under the supervision of Prof. Stefanos Fasoulas.
In his work, Dr. Traub explores a field that has been little researched to date: the three-dimensional simultaneous control of satellite formations in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) through the targeted use of differential aerodynamic forces. His dissertation is characterized by exceptional methodological depth and engineering originality.
Particular emphasis was placed on the holistic systems engineering approach: Dr. Traub develops a fully integrated methodology that takes all relevant physical and aerodynamic influencing factors into account. By combining analytical and numerical methods, developing flexible simulation tools, and deriving optimized satellite configurations, the work lays important foundations for future developments in the field of space technology.
Even after completing his doctorate, Dr. Traub continues his research at the IRS. As part of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 1667 “ATLAS – Advanced Technologies for Very Low Earth Orbit Satellites,” he continues to focus on the challenges and potential of satellite flight in VLEO.
The Bürkert University Prize – formerly the “Friends of the University Prize” – is awarded annually by the Christian Bürkert Foundation for outstanding scientific achievements. It honors three excellent dissertations from all faculties of the University of Stuttgart and is endowed with 5,000 euros.
ATLAS study selected as Editor's Pick in Physics of Fluids journal (2025)
The ATLAS team is proud to report that our article, titled "A Machine Learning Framework for Scattering Kernel Derivation Using Molecular Dynamics Data in Very Low Earth Orbit", and published jointly in the journal Physics of Fluids by ATLAS researchers from the group of Prof. Johannes Roth of Project A01 at the Institute for Functional Matter and Quantum Technologies (FMQ) and the group of Dr.-Ing. Marcel Pfeiffer of Project A02 at the Institute of Space Systems (IRS), has further received the honour of being selected as Editor’s Pick. The study describes how a machine learning model is trained on a set of detailed molecular dynamics simulation results to accurately and efficiently predict how impacting oxygen atoms bounce off satellite surfaces in VLEO environments. Improving the quality and computational efficiency of such predictions is essential for the design of drag mitigation measures, aerodynamic control schemes and ABEP intakes in VLEO.