Statement of Purpose - Masters in Space Engineering
As a growing teen I have been a curious witness to the humble yet inspiring achievements of the Indian space program, like the Chandrayaan program or the Mars Orbiter Mission. I was inspired into becoming a good engineer and always finding the most optimal way to solve problems after reading and learning about the life of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and the modest beginning of the Indian space program. Besides, I was lucky to grow up in a rational environment, where I was always encouraged to explore and ask the fundamental questions.
In order to follow my passion of studying Aerospace Engineering, I put in rigorous efforts to get admitted to one of the highest ranking engineering universities in India, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Here I found great professors who explained to the students the importance of space exploration and technology and the role it plays in a developing nation.
During my Bachelor's degree I began by developing my fundamentals in Fluid Mechanics, Solid Mechanics and Aerodynamics. Towards the end of my degree program I picked up specific subjects based on my interests like Engineering Design Optimization, Introduction to Thermoacoustics, Interfacial Phenomena in Liquid Atomization, etc. I had also taken various laboratory courses, wherein I performed experiments in Aerodynamics, Propulsion, Structures, etc.
As a part of the Engineering Design Optimization course I had done a project on "Launch Vehicle Design and Mass Optimization" and given a poster presentation on the same at the "Tech and RnD Expo 2019, IIT Bombay". Besides, this I had done various research and simulation projects during my bachelors degree. A couple of compressible and incompressible fluid simulations as a part of curriculum and a trajectory simulation of the "Mars Global Surveyor Mission". I had completed a summer research project under the guidance of Prof. Krishnendu Sinha. Wherein I analytically estimated the skin friction drag on various intake geometries of a scramjet for various flight conditions. I collated these analytical values with data obtained from CFD simulations. Even after the completion of my Undergraduate degree, I have enrolled in various MOOCs, just to stay in touch with the Aerospace subjects.
I feel great about foundational courses like mathematical methods, data analysis and atmospheric physics, one can always learn new things in these topics. The compulsory module has excellent courses for someone interested in mission and launch vehicle design. Not just the technical courses but some courses on topics like "Product Assurance" are also important for a well-rounded aerospace engineer. The elective module also offers a wide range of technical and non-technical courses to select from.
Besides the versatile curriculum, I would like to mention a few more reasons for planning Masters in Space Engineering at Universität Bremen.
1. The numerous members of faculty, expert in their own field with an impressive research background.
2. The rich "learning content" offered in the courses for this program.
3. The university being a part of YUFE, which opens opportunity to study at more universities in YUFE.
In long term I wish to make a career in academics, by having a research oriented job in the Aerospace domain. In order to prepare myself for that my first step is to get a Master's degree so that I get a first glimpse into the world of research. The broad topics of my research interest are Mission Design, Launch Vehicle Design and combining modern optimization tools like machine learning and modern additive manufacturing methods to come up with new design methodology.
The current research on cryogenic tanks and fuel-tank interaction at "DLR Institute for Space Systems" and "ZARM & Drop Tower Bremen" and the past research on upper stage design and staging and trajectory optimization are of particular interest to me. Along with that, research such as artificial intelligence for mechanical component development, guidance and control of lunar landers and WORHP done at "Center for Industrial Mathematics" would also help me push my research to new frontiers. With such research facilities at Universität Bremen, my ideas would have a great place to brew and grow.
All things considered, my foundational background in undergraduate level research and an interest to continue and contribute in aerospace domain research, makes me a great fit for Universität Bremen. The interdisciplinary nature of research with responsibility towards the society and the idea of research based learning, have been a key factor in my decision towards choosing Universität Bremen for my masters and further education. I promise to make good use of the excellent research facilities, accept the guidance of esteemed professors and interact with the bright student population at Bremen, in order to become a part of and contribute to the research culture at Universität Bremen.
