The two IGEP members Johanna Bürger (PhD student) and Lars Klingenstein (Master student) took part in the Alpbach Summer School from 9 to 18 July. This annual event offers around 60 students from various ESA member states the unique opportunity to develop a comprehensive proposal for a potential future ESA space mission. Participants are divided into four teams consisting of a balanced mix of students with scientific and technical backgrounds. In the context of this year's theme ‘Giant Planets and their Moons’, the teams should independently identify open scientific questions and then work out how these can be realistically investigated. A series of lectures at the beginning of the Summer School, held by international experts, including from ESA, DLR and various universities, offered participants valuable insights into scientific backgrounds and technological concepts.
Johanna and her team have developed the ‘SEAFARER’ mission, which deals with the further exploration of Saturn and its icy moons Enceladus, Mimas and Titan after the Cassini-Huygens mission, which ended in 2017, and is particularly focussed on the aspect of habitability. The mission is also focussing on further research into the climate on the moon Titan, which has a dense atmosphere and large methane lakes on its surface.
Lars and his team have designed the ‘NOSTROMO’ mission, an orbiter that will explore Neptune and its moon Triton. The aim of this mission is to investigate the formation and development of so-called ice giants and thus contribute to a better understanding of the formation of planetary systems. In addition, it will be investigated whether life exists or could have existed on Triton.
Johanna and Lars look back on their participation in the Alpbach Summer School with great pleasure. They are grateful for the valuable experience they were able to gain and for the numerous contacts they made with international experts and other students. Johanna and Lars would like to thank the organisers of the Summer School Alpbach, ESA, FFG and Austrospace. They are also grateful for the financial support of the German Space Agency at DLR, which made their participation and unforgettable experiences possible.
