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.