Stories of Aerospace Engineering

Read the stories of researchers and students at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, and discover the scientific questions they are working on and the solutions they come up with.

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Learning to lead as a young woman in aviation

It takes guts to pursue your dreams, but having good role models and mentors can make a difference. These are things that have helped Leanne van Dam, a master’s student at TU Delft’s Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, on her journey to becoming a leader. A recipient of the 2021 International Aviation Women's Association (IAWA) scholarship, she hopes her example will inspire others to follow their dreams.
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The success of the Aerospace Innovation Hub: ‘It’s fantastic to see companies take off’

From satellites that are launched into outer space from an aeroplane to predicting ticket prices based on an algorithm: the companies that are part of the Aerospace Innovation Hub (AIH) at the TU Delft Campus are developing groundbreaking innovations in the area of aviation and aerospace. Femke Verdegaal, a member of management with shared responsibility for the growth of the initiative, talks about bringing together industry, science, start-ups, and students with the aim of promoting innovation in aviation and aerospace. ‘We really function as a springboard.’
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Smart certification for sustainable aviation

Rapid innovation is needed to reach the 2050 sustainability goals for the aviation sector. But rather than a lack of ideas, or the effort needed to bring these to fruition, the main bottleneck in reaching these goals are the existing, very lengthy certification procedures. Three TU Delft professors therefore propose a radically different approach towards certification in aviation.

Floating wind turbines change everything

In order to become climate neutral by 2050, the share of renewable energy generated at sea will need to increase significantly. Floating wind turbines, solar panels and tidal power plants will play a crucial role in this.
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Cleaner aviation: the logistical puzzle

Improving the sustainability of aviation is not only a technological challenge, but also a logistical one. For example, using cleaner fuels for aviation calls for sufficient facilities at airfields. Researcher Bruno Santos is exploring the impact that new types of aircraft and fuels will have on logistical operations. It is hoped that this knowledge will accelerate investments aimed at improving sustainability.
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Taking wind energy research to new heights with open-source software

Mark Schelbergen, PhD candidate at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, researches airborne wind energy (AWE) systems, a novel type of wind energy converter which is an alternative to the traditional tower-based wind turbines. To build a full picture of how much wind energy AWE systems can potentially harvest, Mark needs software to gain insights from publicly available wind datasets.
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Delft researcher streamlines the path to Olympic success

Imagine being able to launch a satellite that would fit in your pocket and send it into space. It wouldn't only be cheap, it would also enable whole swarms of satellites to work together. A swarm would give a much clearer picture of the radiation in space and the atmosphere around planet Earth. Early January 2022 the mini satellite of Alessandra Menicucci’s team was launched with a Falcon 9 rocket in the Transporter-3 mission of SpaceX from Cape Canaveral. The team hopes they will be able to breathe life into one of the world’s smallest satellites in space.
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The birth of the Delfi-PQ mini satellite

Imagine being able to launch a satellite that would fit in your pocket and send it into space. It wouldn't only be cheap, it would also enable whole swarms of satellites to work together. A swarm would give a much clearer picture of the radiation in space and the atmosphere around planet Earth. Early January 2022 the mini satellite of Alessandra Menicucci’s team was launched with a Falcon 9 rocket in the Transporter-3 mission of SpaceX from Cape Canaveral. The team hopes they will be able to breathe life into one of the world’s smallest satellites in space.
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Looking over the shoulder of the pilot of a Flying-V

The first scale model test proved last year that the Flying-V is an airworthy, stable and controllable aircraft. In early November, it was time for the next step: the first simulator flight. Test pilot Thibaut Cappuyns had the honour of taking control of the stick of the SIMONA simulator. The pilot's experience of this revolutionary type of aircraft is crucial.
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Stronger together: Swarm mini-drones sniff out gas leaks

Developing drones that are smaller and lighter than normal drones but still capable of performing the same tasks – Bart Duisterhof has succeeded in doing just that, and has been named Best Graduate in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. For his Master’s thesis, he developed smart mini-drones that can independently detect gas leaks. “If you’re not afraid of thinking outside the box, you can reach solutions that you might not otherwise have thought of.”
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