Satellite Design Workshop

The Satellite Design Workshop (SDW) is inspired by and partially modelled on the popular Space Station Design Workshop (SSDW), which has been held several times since 1996 with considerable success at the Institute of Space Systems of the University of Stuttgart, Germany, and other venues.

With the topic of Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) gaining momentum, the Collaborative Research Center 1667 ATLAS (Advancing Technologies for Low-Altitude Satellites) was inaugurated in April 2024 at the University of Stuttgart, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). This research programme aims to address many of the fundamental scientific and engineering challenges of making sustainable satellite operations in VLEO a reality through the means of seventeen closely interlinked research projects focusing on various complementary aspects.

A guiding reference mission concept named MEROPE (Multi-satellite Exploratory Research Of Physical Environment in VLEO) has been conceived as an additional framework to motivate the collaborative nature and progression of this research programme. Beginning with a mission statement addressing one or more scientific problems associated with VLEO and incorporating state-of-the-art findings from the CRC 1667 ATLAS and from VLEO researchers all over the world, the annually held SDW shall see MEROPE expressed as a fleshed-out science mission engineering study. Through this, new operational, scientific and technological potentials and challenges shall be explored and identified, feeding back into shaping the future of VLEO research.

The first international Satellite Design Workshop was held in September 2025 with 38 participants from 16 countries. Two competing teams conducted design studies on a technology demonstrator VLEO satellite mission for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) system, which culminated in the AERIS and DragON concepts, respectively developed by Team Blue and Team Green. Following an intense but rewarding week for all participants, a panel of experts declared Team Green and their satellite concept to be the winners of the SDW 2025 by a narrow margin. Learn more about the SDW 2025 below!

In the weeks leading up to the workshop in Stuttgart, selected participants for the Satellite Design Workshop (SDW) will be assigned their team position and provided with instructions and reading material to prepare for the SDW.

In Stuttgart, the workshop will kick off with a series of crash courses on key topics related to VLEO research and technology, satellite mission design, and aerospace project management. The teams will then be provided a mission statement and a set of requirements for the task at hand: Designing a scientific VLEO satellite mission on the level of a Phase 0/A study.

In the following days, each team will work towards developing their own concept, working together to meet deadlines and to impress a panel of experts during regular design reviews. Participants can look forward to an intense but rewarding week in a stimulating international environment, during which their shared vision for a VLEO satellite mission takes shape.

Finally, following an intense week (and weekend!) of engineering teamwork and social events, both teams will present their concept to the panel of experts, who will select a winning concept.

To help you form a better impression, click here to learn more about how the Satellite Design Workshop 2025 went!

The Satellite Design Workshop 2026 is hosted by the Collaborative Research Center 1667 ATLAS, which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under Project-ID 516238647 – SFB 1667/1.

Thanks to this generous support, the workshop is free of charge for all participants.

For participants from outside of Stuttgart, accommodation (including breakfast) will be organised free of charge. Lunch, coffee, snacks and beverages will be provided at no cost to the participants. Please note that dinner is generally not included.

A limited amount of travel cost support can be provided to international participants. Please note that the exact amount of individual travel cost support will be determined after the candidate selection process has concluded. Subject to budget availability, the maximum affordable travel cost support is broadly based on the country-specific travel allowance rates set by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD - Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst). Please be aware that this travel cost support can be granted only, and without exception, after the workshop has concluded and that the processing of this payment may take some time. The travel cost support will be reimbursed via wire transfer, requiring that confirmed participants provide suitable bank account information to the organisers. Please also understand that the organising team cannot make travel booking arrangements on a participant's behalf.

Please be aware that no financial support can be provided to cover any costs incurred in the process of applying for a travel visa.

Applicants are requested to consider in which role(s) they see themselves contributing best to their respective team. A minimum of two and a maximum of three preferences must be provided in the application form.

Learn more about the individual positions within each team by clicking the following link!

Applications to participate in the Satellite Design Workshop will be accepted until 30 April 2026!

Please note that placements are limited and that a submission of your application does not in itself constitute a registration to the workshop. Your participation is contingent to being selected from the pool of applicants. Access to the workshop will only be granted to successful applicants as selected by the organising committee.

To apply for participation in the SDW, the following must apply to you:

• You have a background in and affinity to STEM topics relevant to spaceflight, for example (but not limited to!) aerospace, mechanical, electrical and materials engineering or physics.
• You are either
  
  • a student pursuing a Master's degree in a relevant STEM field,
  • a student pursuing a Bachelor's degree in a relevant STEM field and nearing the conclusion of your degree,
  • a post-graduate doctoral researcher in a relevant STEM field in the early stages of your thesis work, or
  • a recent (maximum of two years) graduate working in the relevant industry.
• You are proficient in the English language (both in speech and writing) to a degree that you can communicate and discuss complex tasks and concepts in an international setting.
• You are able and willing to work constructively in an international and interdisciplinary team towards a common objective.

The following documentation is required to apply for participation in the SDW:

1. An up-to-date curriculum vitae (in English).
2. An up-to-date transcript of records from your University (in English).
3. An endorsement by a professor/academic advisor or superior. Please ask them to fill out and sign this pdf form, which can either be submitted directly during the application process or sent directly by the endorser to the organizing team via e-mail. The applicant must be known personally to the endorser, who must further consent to the possibility of being contacted in the case of additional inquiries.
4. A short video presentation (1 to 3 minutes in length) in which you introduce yourself and motivate your participation. Following the successful submission of your online application form, a video upload link will be provided to you, which will remain open until the application deadline. Further instructions on the contents of your video application are provided here.

Please note that only applications for which complete set of the requested documentation has been submitted by the application deadline can be considered for participation.

In case you are experiencing technical difficulties with the application form, please contact us via e-mail.

The organising team of the Satellite Design Workshop 2026 is looking forward to receiving your application!

Following the submission of the online application form, you will be provided with a link to which you are asked to upload a short video as part of your application before the deadline. Please adhere to the following restrictions concerning your uploaded video presentation:

• The video must be no longer than 180 s in length and no larger than 1 GB in file size.
• The video must be uploaded in a commonly used video file format, e.g. MP4, MOV, MPG, WEBM, WMV or AVI.
• The video file must follow the naming convention [Surname]_[First name]_application_SDW26.[file ending] to enable a clear association thereof with your application.

You are free to be creative in how you compose your video application/presentation. We suggest recording a short power point presentation and including a cameo, or to simply record a short video on your phone. Regardless of how you present yourself, please ensure that the submitted video answers the following five questions:

1. Who are you?
2. How did you learn about the Satellite Design Workshop?
3. What motivates you to participate in this year's Satellite Design Workshop?
4. Why should you be selected as a participant (you may e.g. reference your CV regarding your experience, skills, knowledge, team spirit, etc.)?
5. Which two or three team positions would you prefer (in what order) and why do you consider yourself accordingly suitable to fill these roles?

Please rest assured that the submitted video applications will be reviewed exclusively by members of the organising team of the Satellite Design Workshop for the sole purpose of selecting participants. They will not be forwarded to third parties. All submitted video files will be deleted from storage within 12 months of their initial submission. Further information on how your application data is stored and processed can be found here.

Students of the University of Stuttgart have the opportunity to earn 3 ECTS credit points for their participation at the workshop. Further details can be found in the C@mpus and ILIAS systems.

Chairs

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sabine Klinkner
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefanos Fasoulas

Organising Team

Markus Graß
Dr.-Ing. Adam S. Pagan

Contact us at sdw(at)atlas.uni-stuttgart.de.

Read more on how former participants of the Satellite Design Workshop describe the experience in their own words:

"The workshop taught me how important it is to think beyond my own subsystem and constantly consider the bigger mission context. I realized that even small design choices can cascade into major impacts across the system, which sharpened my ability to see interconnections. I also learned how to stay productive under time pressure, where quick decisions and compromises are necessary without losing sight of quality. Most importantly, working with such a diverse and international team showed me the value of clear communication, adaptability, and collaboration. These lessons gave me not only technical growth but also personal confidence to take on complex challenges in future projects."

"I learned how to work on a system that required constant trade-offs, also how to communicate with the other subsystems so that we are all in the same page. It was very exciting and I loved every part of it."

"The SDW provides a rare opportunity to experience the full complexity of satellite mission design under realistic time pressure. It combines technical depth with teamwork, expert guidance, and international collaboration, making it both a professional challenge and an inspiring learning journey. On a personal level, it pushed me out of my comfort zone, helped me grow as both an engineer and a teammate, and gave me the confidence to contribute in an international space project setting. That impact alone makes me recommend it to anyone interested in space engineering."

"This experience makes me grow"

The Satellite Design Workshop is a densely packed week full of crash courses, team work, presentations, as well as social events. Shown here is the timeline for the SDW 2025, illustrating a typical progression of the workshop.

Check out the VLEO satellite design concepts resulting from the Satellite Design Workshop 2025:

Team Green (Winner): DragON

• DragON Poster (Team Green)
• DragON Two-page Executive Summary (Team Green)

Team Blue (Follow-up): AERIS

• AERIS Poster (Team Blue)
• AERIS Two-page Executive Summary (Team Blue)