KTH Space Center

Joel and Benjamin are in their third year of studying technical physics. The latest week, they have been up in Kiruna, taking photographs of the Northern Lights as part of their bachelor's thesis, while also being part of the group observing the experiment BROR. BROR is an ongoing campaign with the goal of creating artificial Northern Lights-like clouds using a sounding rocket. More information about BROR can be found here .

"We had a very nice day at Esrange where we learned about the operations, including the Science Control Room and the rocket preparation room. Thank you to SSC and IRF  for this opportunity! We would also like to take this opportunity to thank KTH Space Center for helping make this trip possible."

In the picture, you can see the camera equipment used when photographing the Northern Lights.

Welcome to our next monthly seminar!

Where associate prof. Jan-Erik Wahlund will talk about the most ambitious ESA planetary research project ever, JUpiter ICy moons Explorer ( JUICE ). It has a planned launch on April 13, 2023. Its main targets are the three large icy moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto orbiting around the gas giant Jupiter. The journey there will take almost 8 years, and 5 more years of detailed science is planned for. Toward the end the spacecraft will be put in orbit around Ganymede, where it finally will make a planned crash on the surface. Among the ten science instrument packages onboard JUICE, two are Swedish led. The long road of implementation of one of these instrument packages, the Radio & Plasma Wave Investigation (RPWI), will be described, and the potential science it will hopefully do when it arrives at Jupiter.

Open for all and fika will be available!

When: April 4th at 15.00-16.00

Where: Lecture hall D2 , KTH, Lindstedtsvägen 9 and online on zoom

The KTH Space Technology Laboratory is a central part of KTH Space Center. The laboratory offers state-of-the art environments with laboratory equipment and technical staff with the aim is to strengthening the role of KTH within international research and space technology. Want to take a look inside the laboratory and what it has to offer? We now present our new video of the KTH Space Technology Laboratory!

The winning entry from the naming contest of the thermal vacuum chamber is Space Sauna! Congratulations Wilhelm Karlsson for coming up with the perfect name!

At basic level, we say a big congratulations to Amanda Helmfrid & Richárd Bagi who receive SEK 5,000 each for their study on the central object in the supernova 2002ap. Very interesting work!

Investigating the central engine in supernova 2002ap using X-ray observations (pdf 2.1 MB)

At advanced level, the jury chose two winners who will receive SEK 10,000 each.

First we have Anna Hidalgo Larsson, whose thesis touches on a highly relevant topic, namely the development of tools for mapping objects orbiting Earth, e.g. dead satellites and space debris, in order to increase the space situational awareness Congratulations Anna!

Forward Modelling of Ground Based SST Telescope Images (pdf 3.7 MB)

The other winner is Leonardo Ricci, who has done a study and simulation of the feasability of escaping Earth's sphere of influence by using sun sail, a system of attitude and orbit control that is propellant-free, which is an important aspect for future space travel. Congratulations Leonardo! 

Sunshade Demonstrator Spacecraft Earth Sphere of Influence Escape Using a Propellant-free AOCS (pdf 4.6 MB)

Space technology is literally speeding ahead in the world and it is important for Swedish schools to keep up with developments. KTH wants to support teachers in keeping up with developments and can demonstrate practical space technology, how it works, and how environmentally friendly it really is. This autumn, KTH is launching two new courses for teachers in primary and secondary schools. They will be conducted online to enable teachers from all over the country to participate.

Read more about the courses in this article: More space technology at KTH