Current Opportunities
We are recruiting talented researchers to undertake their postgraduate study with us in New Zealand.
Please get in touch if the any of the listed projects are of interest, or propose your own.
Please note that you must be eligible to study in New Zealand, and eligible for admission and scholarships at an NZ University.
A novel fuel transfer system for sustainable space missions
There are currently more than 10,000 operational satellites orbiting Earth, and this number is expected to triple over the next decade. As the global in‑space servicing and refuelling market accelerates, projected to be worth USD $1.1 billion by 2032. The space industry is moving toward a future where in‑orbit fuel stations will become essential infrastructure for sustainable satellite operations.
This PhD project aims to develop an understanding of liquid behaviour in zero gravity, one of the most complex challenges in enabling safe and efficient fuel transfer in orbit. Since in‑space refuelling has never been performed, this project will generate new fundamental knowledge for future satellite servicing missions, deep-space exploration, and sustainable space operations.
Supervisor: Priyanka Dhopade
Modelling of atmospheric dynamics to understand effects of satellite
re-entry
The re-entry of space debris, which releases hundreds of tons of metallic particles into the atmosphere annually, could have far-reaching consequences, including potential disruptions to the recovery of the ozone hole.
This PhD project aims to model atmospheric dynamics to understand transport mechanisms that influence where and how satellite materials disperse after re-entry. It will provide key insights and recommendations for the management and mitigation of satellite atmospheric re-entry by building on current understanding of the role of ozone in the atmosphere and climate system.
Supervisory team: Annika Seppälä, Priyanka Dhopade