Master Thesis: Circularity in Satellite and Terrestrial Communications

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About this opportunity:

Satellite communications are expanding rapidly, with more satellites being launched and plans emerging to move data-processing capacity into space. These developments may bring technological benefits, but they also raise sustainability concerns related to greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, energy use, and material consumption.

Resource circularity is a particular challenge: current approaches often give limited attention to recovering infrastructure sent into orbit and managing it at end of life. This thesis will assess these issues through a comparative life-cycle analysis (LCA) of satellite and terrestrial communication solutions.

What you will do:

• Compare satellite and terrestrial communication systems from a global perspective, including both ground-based and orbital infrastructure.
• Assess environmental impacts, focusing on energy use, GHG emissions, material and resource efficiency, and the risk of resource depletion.
• Develop an LCA approach informed by published research, interviews with internal and external stakeholders, and independent research.

The skills you bring:

• A quantitative comparative LCA describing the environmental impacts of terrestrial communication relative to satellite solutions under current conditions.
• A forward-looking assessment of expected materials use, energy demand, and GHG emissions over the next 10–20 years.