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Technical University of Munich

Sören Heizmann, M.Sc.

Biography

Sören Heizmann has received a Bachelor and Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Stuttgart, Germany. He has several years of work experience at a Large System Integrator, a New Space company and the European Space Agency (ESA / ESTEC). Furthermore, he worked for several years on the development of Lunar Landers and especially on the technology of Water Electrolysis Propulsion (WEP), where he developed and tested several electrolysers. Since 2022 he is working at TUM as scientific researcher and doctoral candidate with a research focus on the development of spaceflight capable high-pressure electrolysers for WEP. 

Research

  • Development of spaceflight capable high-pressure electrolysers

  • System Analysis of WEP and its satellite integration

  • Technical and Innovation Manager of S4I2T

Projects

S4I2T (European Innovation Council)
Within the EIC-funded project “Solar for Ice to Thrust” (S4I2T) TUM and its partners are developing a Water Electrolysis Propulsion system as a cleaner and more efficient alternative to existing in-space propulsion solutions. S4I2T will also demonstrate the re-filling of propellants between CubeSats and it will demonstrate for the worldwide first time the complete end-to-end ISRU technology chain of transforming icy regolith into thrust.

Publications

  • D. Conte et al., ‘Advanced concept for a crewed mission to the martian moons’, Acta Astronautica, vol. 139, pp. 545–563, Oct. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.07.044.

  • S. Heizmann, ‘Development of a Miniaturized PEM Electrolyzer for a Small Satellite Application’, Master Thesis, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany, 2018.

  • A. Herbertz et al., ‘Overview of Water Electrolysis Propulsion Research at ESA’, presented at the 8th edition of the Space Propulsion Conference, Estoril, Portugal, 2022.

  • J. Saryczew, S. Heizmann, and A. Herbertz, ‘Development of a Test Bench for Electrolyser Performance Evaluation for Water Electrolysis Propulsion’, presented at the 34th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science, Kurume, Japan, 2023.

  • S. Heizmann, A. Herbertz, J. Saryczew, and C. Manfletti, ‘Investigation of a Cathode-Vapour-Feed Electrolyser for a Water Electrolysis Propulsion System’, presented at the 10TH EUCASS – 9TH CEAS, Lausanne, Switzerland, Jul. 2023.

  • S. Heizmann, S. Dengler, R. Šeško, A. Smolka, P. Reiss, and C. Manfletti, ‘ICE2THRUST: An End-to-End Demonstration of the In-Situ Resource Utilization of Water for In-Space Propulsion’, presented at the SPACE PROPULSION 2024, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, May 2024.

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