Jan Hakenberg

My motivation to enroll in the SpaceMaster program was to learn about the engineering of space systems together with students from all over the world. Previously, I had just finished a degree in mathematics with little focus on applicability.

I spent the second year of the program in Helsinki in order to work on electronic circuits and mobile robots. My thesis work investigated and implemented the mobility of Marsokhod, a robot that had originally been intended to navigate on Mars.

The academic highlights of the SpaceMaster course to me were to design and build a CanSat, as well as to compete in a field and service robot competition. To face these challenges in small dynamic teams was such a rewarding experience.

After graduating, I was employed by EADS Astrium to develop and maintain tools for the testing of satellites (Lisa Pathfinder, Earthcare, ...) based in Friedrichshafen and Toulouse.

I am still in touch with a lot of my fellow students and already managed to visit five of them in their home countries.