OHB Sweden is a leading Swedish supplier of space systems. We develop, build, test and commission satellites and subsystems for space missions in, for example, communication, earth observation and space research for institutional and commercial customers within and outside Europe.

In earlier projects OHB Sweden has built considerable experience with Hold-Down and Release Mechanism (HDRM) mechanisms: antenna release mechanism, boom deployment mechanism, S/A damped deployment system, satellite separation system.

On our current satellite platform, the HDRM is purchased externally but is expensive, often under-dimensioned and cannot be scaled easily. And for our future agile Innosat spacecraft we would need to increase the eigen frequencies of the deployed solar panels. 

We are offering a Master Thesis position focused on the design of a scalable Hold-Down and Release Mechanism (HDRM) for satellite deployment systems. The goal of this thesis is to create mechanisms capable of deploying antennas, solar arrays, and managing satellite separation, while ensuring reliability, compactness, and scalability for varying mission requirements. The project will include a review of both internally developed systems and state-of-the-art external systems to identify best practices and innovative approaches.

The tasks of the master's thesis topic are as follows:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of existing deployment mechanisms and HDRM systems, including both in-house designs and external solutions used in the space industry.
• Analyze design requirements and constraints for the deployment of antennas, solar arrays, and satellite separation.
• Develop conceptual designs for a scalable deployment mechanism, focusing on adaptability across different satellite configurations and sizes.
• Perform detailed simulations and analysis (e.g., mechanical, thermal, and dynamic) to validate the design concepts.
• Build and test a prototype (if applicable) to demonstrate functionality.
• Present findings and recommendations for further development and potential implementation.

The required candidate’s skills are:

• A strong background in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.

• Knowledge in design, simulation, and analysis of mechanical systems

• Experience with CAD and simulation software such as Creo, APEX, Nastran, SolidWorks, ANSYS, or similar.

• Familiarity with space systems, especially deployment mechanisms or satellite subsystems, is a plus.

• Strong problem-solving and innovative thinking skills.

• Self-motivation and the ability to work both independently and in teams.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills for sharing findings with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the advancement of satellite mechanical design while gaining valuable experience in the space industry. During the Master Thesis, OHB Sweden is offering support and technical expertise from highly skilled, motivated and innovative Mechanical engineers.

Successful completion of the thesis work can potentially lead to employment as a Mechanical Engineer.

The Master thesis requires you to be in Stockholm at our office in Kista and cannot be done remotely. We follow the export controls law and this regulates which country of birth people who work on our projects may have. We at OHB cannot influence this law.

We look forward to your application! 😀