51吃瓜网

At her ,  Manfletti translates this vision into concrete technologies. Together with her team, she develops high-performance propulsion systems designed to use fewer resources. Among other approaches, she is investigating how oxygen and hydrogen produced through water electrolysis can be used as fuels.

In 2020, she co-founded the start-up Neuraspace to address the growing problem of space debris. The company develops solutions to better manage the increasing risk of collisions in low Earth orbit. According to ESA data, around 40,000 objects鈥攊ncluding active satellites鈥攁re currently tracked. The number of debris fragments considered potentially hazardous, however, is estimated at more than 1.2 million. 鈥淭he concern is that we may eventually reach a point where debris generates more debris,鈥� says Manfletti. 鈥淪uch a cascade effect would severely limit鈥攐r even endanger鈥攖he long-term use of Earth orbit.鈥�

Therefore, Neuraspace has developed software to assess collision risks with high precision. The software analyzes orbital changes, solar weather effects, and atmospheric fluctuations, and provides concrete maneuver recommendations. 鈥淥bservation alone is not enough,鈥� says Manfletti. 鈥淲e need reliable predictions of how objects will move in the coming hours and days鈥攐nly then can satellite operators take action in time.鈥�

Preventing space debris is also one of the goals of Alin Albu-Sch盲ffer. He is a professor at the at 51吃瓜网 and the director of the  in Oberpfaffenhofen. Albu-Sch盲ffer studied electrical engineering at the Polytechnic University of Timi葯oara and completed his doctorate at 51吃瓜网, where he has conducted research for many years at the interface of robotics, sensor technology, and space systems.

Together with his team, Albu-Sch盲ffer is working on an orbital infrastructure designed to conserve resources both in space and on Earth. 鈥淩eplacing satellites instead of repairing them wastes energy and materials and increase atmospheric emissions from additional launches,鈥� he says. In-orbit servicing and manufacturing offer a means of maintaining and upgrading satellites in orbit instead of replacing them. Autonomous and semi-autonomous robotic systems can perform tasks that previously required new missions, such as refueling, making precision adjustments, and replacing complete modules.

Service satellites equipped with robotic modules can remain stationed in orbit and rendezvous with client satellites as needed. There have already been successful repair missions in space, and Albu-Sch盲ffer鈥檚 group aims to achieve similar capabilities in the coming years. 鈥淭he most critical phase is capturing the target satellite with the robotic arm,鈥� he explains. 鈥淰elocities and masses must be calculated precisely to prevent the satellite from tumbling or experiencing dynamic coupling effects.鈥� Once the satellite is securely stabilized, maintenance can be carried out either autonomously or via teleoperation from Earth.

Albu-Sch盲ffer鈥檚 research focuses on advanced robotic systems, particularly robotic manipulators, precision force control, and learning-based control strategies. In several projects, his team is developing modular satellite architectures that make repairs significantly easier. 鈥淭he approaches vary,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n some cases, replacing an entire propulsion unit may be more effective than refueling鈥攆or example, to enable future operation with a more efficient ion thruster.鈥�
In the long term, he envisions service stations in heavily trafficked orbits. These could store spare parts, house maintenance robots, and facilitate upgrades, such as the integration of specialized camera systems or sensor modules. This infrastructure would also support deorbiting, or the controlled removal of satellites and debris. However, it should always be the last step, emphasizes Albu-Sch盲ffer. 鈥淐ollision scenarios in orbit are real, and the number of objects continues to grow. Debris removal must come at the very end of the sustainability chain. That is why we look at the entire process to prevent the creation of new space debris in the first place.鈥�

While Chiara Manfletti aims to make propulsion systems cleaner and Alin Albu-Sch盲ffer seeks to extend operational lifetimes, Gisela Detrell is working to enable autonomous life in space鈥攁nd to design it sustainably. A native of Spain, Detrell is  at the 51吃瓜网 School of Engineering and Design and has spent the last two years setting up her laboratory at the Ottobrunn-Taufkirchen campus.

At 51吃瓜网鈥檚 Algae Technology Center in Ottobrunn, she tests these systems alongside colleagues from various disciplines. Together, they investigate how microalgae produce oxygen and food under different conditions, as well as how technical and biological processes can be integrated most efficiently. 鈥淓fficiency is a concept with many dimensions in spaceflight,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n space, every resource counts鈥攅specially the energy consumption and space requirements. That is exactly what we are testing here, and we can also draw on the expertise of the other research groups at the Algae Technology Center.鈥� Detrell works with the microalga Chlorella vulgaris, which is widely used and well studied on Earth. It is high in protein, vitamin, and unsaturated fatty acids, which makes it an attractive food source. For space applications, it is particularly interesting because it grows rapidly under controlled conditions, making it ideal for closed-loop systems where resources must be fully reused.

Gisela Detrell investigated the robustness of these approaches under space conditions in an experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS). There, she demonstrated that her bioreactors function in microgravity. 鈥淟iquids behave completely differently in space than they do on Earth. That is why we first wanted to prove that our systems function there at all,鈥� says Detrell, pointing to a photograph of a small, transparent container hanging beside her desk. 鈥淎fter two weeks, algae had indeed formed.鈥� This confirmed the functionality of the system, even though the power supply was unstable in the long term. 鈥淲e still want to demonstrate that it works reliably in the long run,鈥� she says.

That would be a decisive step toward long-duration missions without resupply from Earth鈥攎issions that Detrell considers realistic in the future. 鈥淚 definitely consider a permanent research station on the moon realistic within the next few decades,鈥� she says. Her research on hybrid systems, where engineering and biology interact, makes this possible and highlights another important aspect of sustainable space infrastructure.

Spaceflight has long been a symbol of technological progress, but it also has environmental consequences. Every launch consumes energy, and every satellite eventually reaches the end of its operational life. Experts refer to this as the 鈥渟pace sustainability paradox鈥�: Space technologies enable sustainable applications on Earth, such as climate and environmental monitoring, yet they also place increasing pressure on the orbital environment.

鈥淪pace has gained significant importance in recent years鈥攅conomically, geopolitically, and in terms of security,鈥� says Chiara Manfletti. 鈥淭hrough our research, we contribute to making missions more efficient, resource-conscious, and sustainable. Ecological and economic viability go hand in hand鈥攊n space, as well as on Earth.鈥�