PhD student - Doctoral : Evolution rocket engine exhaust plume along

Organisation/Company Technische Universitaet Dresden Department Institute of Aerospace Engineering Research Field Engineering » Aerospace engineering Engineering » Mechanical engineering Engineering » Simulation engineering Environmental science » Earth science Environmental science » Global change Geosciences » Other Physics » Applied physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Final date to receive applications 31 Mar 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels) Country Germany Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Horizon Europe - MSCA Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

About SLICE

Space utilisation plays a crucial role in understanding climate change, but due to a drastic increase in launch rates, there is an urgent need to understand and mitigate potential environmental impacts of space activities themselves, particularly of launchers. However, large knowledge gaps persist for their operational phase from lift-off to landing/reentry. Here, the largest Global Warming Potential and Ozone Layer Depletion Potential are expected.

Especially in the higher atmospheric layers, which are only accessed by launchers, potential impacts of emitted pollutants are amplified by very long retention periods and substance accumulation effects. To investigate the Space Launch Impact on Climate and Environment, SLICE will therefore develop a research and training programme that bridges the current divide between space engineering and climate science to close the gaps that exist in the Life‑Cycle Analysis of space launch systems.

Thus, SLICE will contribute to advance the science of climate change by investigating the three most pressing research areas of this field:
Launch Vehicle Emissions, Atmospheric Interaction & Climate Impact and System Analysis & Design. This will generate actionable insights, on which SLICE will develop solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, accelerate the delivery of the Green Deal and establish an environmentally sustainable access to space. It’s the ambition of SLICE to generate desperately needed novel results, which will enable cutting‑edge innovations.

At the same time, SLICE is committed to training a new generation of highly skilled, resilient, and environmentally aware researchers. They will combine deep scientific knowledge with an ecodesign mindset and the ability to communicate across disciplines and sectors. These doctoral candidates will be uniquely prepared to shape a sustainable future for space transportation in Europe - technically, environmentally, and politically.

SLICE directly supports the European Green Deal, ESA’s Agenda 2025, and will deliver crucial inputs for the EU Space Law and Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) regulations at European level, including the development of PEF Category Rules (PEFCR) for space.

About the host organization

Technische Universität Dresden (TUD) is one of the largest technical universities in Germany. Since 2012, TUD is one of eleven “Universities of Excellence”. It has about 29,000 students and over 8,300 employees from 89 countries, 600 professors among them. As a university with 17 faculties in five Schools, TUD offers a broad variety of 119 degree courses and covers a wide research spectrum.

One of its Research Priority Areas is ‘Mobility & Environment’. TUD emphasises international cooperation. Interdisciplinary cooperation between various fields is a strength of the TUD, whose researchers also benefit from collaborations with the region's numerous science institutions.

TUD is part of the DRESDENconcept – an alliance of 33 research institutions from the world of science and culture, representing an ideal network to communicate the excellent research in and around Dresden. In recognition of the TUD’s emphasis on applications in both teaching and research, leading companies have honoured the university with currently 10 endowed chairs. The TUD prides itself for its international flavour and has partnerships with more than 70 universities worldwide.

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