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Technical University of Munich

Biography

Felix pursued his studies in Mechanical and Process Engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt. Initially focussing on aeronautical propulsion, he later discovered his passion for rocket propulsion systems through his involvement with the student group "TUDSat." In addition to this, Felix developed a deep interest in control engineering, appreciating the need for a comprehensive understanding of the entire system to effectively control it. Since March 2022, he has been a research associate at the Chair of Space Mobility and Propulsion at TUM, where he focuses on intelligent rocket engine control systems.

Research

The space industry is experiencing rapid growth and transitioning from being primarily government-led to increasingly driven by the private sector with more launches each year, an increasing number of systems in orbit, and a growing focus on human space exploration and tourism. To enable this transformation, autonomy and the reliability of space systems play a crucial role. 

Rocket engines are operated at the physical limit of material capabilities. Hence, faults in these systems cannot be ruled out. For this reason, Felix's research focuses on developing intelligent control algorithms capable of responding to engine failures, thereby increasing the reliability and integrity of spacecrafts. The research is demonstrated on the ASCENT Hopper. 

Project Work

The Autonomous Spacecraft Control and Engine Technology (ASCENT) Platform is a hopper equipped with a hot gas rocket engine, designed to perform low atmospheric flights. This hopper is being developed and tested from the ground up. The project's goal is to have a flexible test platform for the research being conducted at the chair and with partners and to provide students with the opportunity to contribute to and learn from designing, building, and operating this system.

Felix’s Tasks within the Project are

  • Project Manager

  • System Engineering

  • Control Engineering

Publications

  • F. Ebert, J. Kayser, C. Manfletti, ‘Fault Detection and Recovery for a 1 Degree of Freedom Cold Gas Propelled Hopper through Adaptive Control’, presented at SPACE PROPULSION 2024, Glasgow, Scotland, 2024.

  • S. Dengler, F. Ebert et al., ‘Water Electrolysis Propulsion in CubeSats: A case study’, presented at SPACE PROPULSION 2022, Estoril, Portugal, 2022.

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