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| Fly Your Thesis! | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fly Your Thesis! |
| Type | Educational rocketry program |
| Established | 2006 |
| Sponsor | European Space Agency |
| Participants | University students |
| Location | Europe |
Fly Your Thesis!
Fly Your Thesis! is a European student rocketry training program administered by the European Space Agency that enables teams of university students to design, build, and launch stratospheric payloads. The program connects participants with facilities and experts from organizations such as the European Space Research and Technology Centre, DLR and CNES, and integrates themes from projects associated with Ariane 5, Vega and Ariane 6. It focuses on hands-on experience linked to institutions such as University of Tokyo, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich and Delft University of Technology and leverages partnerships with industry actors like Airbus, Thales Alenia Space and OHB SE.
Fly Your Thesis! provides a structured pathway for student teams to carry out suborbital and stratospheric experiments by using sounding rockets and high-altitude balloons, interfacing with assets related to Huygens probe, Rosetta (spacecraft), Mars Express and Gaia (spacecraft). The initiative operates within the framework of agencies including the European Commission, European Space Agency and national agencies such as CNES and DLR, and collaborates with university groups from Oxford University, University of Cambridge, Politecnico di Milano and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. It emphasizes technology transfer and links to programs like Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, CanSat Competition and European Rover Challenge.
The program began in the mid-2000s as part of outreach and training efforts by the European Space Agency and national partners, building on precedent activities conducted by CNES and DLR and educational initiatives at institutions including TU Munich, University of Warsaw, Sorbonne University and University of Bologna. Early campaigns drew on launch expertise from sites and operations connected to Esrange Space Center, Kourou Space Centre and Andøya Space, and on research priorities exemplified by missions such as BepiColombo, INTEGRAL and Herschel (spacecraft). Over successive cycles the program expanded cooperation with industry partners like Safran and RUAG and research bodies like CERN and Max Planck Society.
Fly Your Thesis! aims to train students in systems engineering, payload integration, flight operations and data analysis, providing exposure to practices used on missions such as Rosetta (spacecraft), Mars Express and ExoMars. The pedagogical model parallels curricula at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Caltech and Princeton University by embedding experiential learning that complements laboratory coursework at institutions like University of Helsinki and Trinity College Dublin. It seeks to develop skills valued by employers such as Airbus, SpaceX and Blue Origin and by research institutes like European Southern Observatory, JAXA and NASA.
Teams typically consist of students from universities such as Imperial College London, Politecnico di Milano, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and University of Lisbon under supervision by faculty affiliated with ETH Zurich, Delft University of Technology and École Polytechnique. The selection process involves technical proposals evaluated by panels including representatives from European Space Agency, CNES and DLR as well as industrial partners like Thales Alenia Space and OHB SE. Participants receive mentorship from engineers with backgrounds at Airbus Defence and Space, Rolls-Royce and Leonardo S.p.A. and access to facilities linked to ESTEC, ESTRACK and national test centers.
Project portfolios have included payloads for atmospheric physics, microgravity experiments, astrobiology mockups and instrumentation tests relevant to missions such as Rosetta (spacecraft), Herschel (spacecraft) and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Campaigns have launched from ranges and sites associated with Esrange Space Center, Andøya Space, Kourou Space Centre and cooperating airfields, coordinated with flight safety authorities such as French Civil Aviation Authority and national authorities in Sweden and Norway. Collaborative experiments often reference standards and instrumentation used on projects like Ariane 5, Vega and Ariane 6.
Outcomes include successful suborbital flights, peer-reviewed publications by students at journals tied to European Geosciences Union, conference presentations at venues like International Astronautical Congress and career placements at employers including Airbus, ESA and SpaceX. Notable achievements have seen student experiments contribute to datasets used by groups at Max Planck Society, CNRS and Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, and alumni progressing to roles on missions such as BepiColombo, JUICE (spacecraft) and ExoMars. The program has been cited in outreach efforts by institutions like European Space Agency Education Office and in cooperation with competitions such as CanSat Competition.
Safety governance involves coordination with regulatory bodies including the European Aviation Safety Agency, national civil aviation authorities and launch range operators at Esrange Space Center and Andøya Space. Oversight integrates compliance with standards referenced by organizations such as ISO and best practices from agencies like NASA and JAXA, and requires liaison with maritime and air traffic authorities in jurisdictions like French Guiana, Sweden and Norway. Project reviews employ panels incorporating experts from DLR, CNES and industrial partners such as Safran to ensure payload, launch and recovery safety.
Category:European Space Agency programs Category:Student rocketry