News 2026

PhD thesis defense by Manuel Roth

March 26, 2026. Mr. Manuel Roth completed his doctoral studies, earning his PhD with the prestigious distinction of summa cum laude. His dissertation, titled "Enhancing Routing in Satellite Constellations with Software-Defined Networking and Reinforcement Learning," contributes valuable insights into the field of satellite communication, particularly in next-generation autonomous satellite networks and integrated 6G architectures.
Dr. Roth’s research focused on innovative routing protocols and AI-based traffic engineering tailored to satellite constellations. By combining distributed Software-Defined Networking with Deep Reinforcement Learning, his approaches enhance throughput while maintaining quality of service requirements.
The jury was composed of Prof. Carmen Mas Machuca (Chair of the Examination Committee, UniBw M) and the examiners Prof. Giovanni Giambene (University of Siena) and Prof. Andreas Knopp (Supervisor, UniBw M).
We wish Dr. Roth all the best for his future career!

February 2026 – SPARE Recruitment Campaign

The in-person interviews for the engineering positions within the SPARE project, in which the Chair of Signal Processing at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich participates as an academic partner, took place from 9 to 11 February 2026 at Thales Research & Technology in Palaiseau, France.
Over the course of three days, ten doctoral candidates in engineering were selected for an equivalent number of positions. The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for a series of technical discussions covering the following domains of expertise:
• In-orbit assembly
• Space-based data centers
• Space-based space situational awareness
• Distributed spectrum sensing
• Spectrum sharing/radio resource allocation
• Physical layer security
• Multi-mission ground segment optimization
• Model-based systems engineering for life cycle assessment and satellite AIT planning
Additional SPARE programme management aspects, such as the organisation of a concurrent engineering activity and an enterprise competition aimed at fostering transversal competencies among the doctoral candidates, were also discussed by the SPARE Steering Committee during these three fruitful days. The SPARE team is looking forward to initiating the research activities together with its highly talented doctoral candidates!
For more information about the SPARE doctoral network, visit the project website: www.sparehorizon.eu

Digital Beamforming in Space Applications - System understanding further enhanced

February 12, 2026. The second workshop on “Digital Beamforming in Space Applications,” conducted and supported by the SPACE research center at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, has been successfully completed.
With 18 participants from space industry, research institutes, and academia, the event covered a wide range of topics and featured highly competent speakers.
The discussions were characterized by technical depth, a clear focus on interfaces, and a shared understanding of architecture. The aim was to further sharpen the understanding of the system and create a solid foundation for the next steps.
The workshop focused on:
• Identifying key system parameters
• Deriving an initial structured high-level block diagram
• Specifying functional and technical interfaces
A key result is the formation of three thematically focused working groups. These have clearly defined work assignments and coordinated next steps to continue the developed content in a targeted manner.
In addition, a project outline will be created. Regular monthly exchanges have been agreed upon in order to further develop the architecture iteratively and transparently.
This creates a solid foundation for making well-informed architectural decisions and addressing systemic risks at an early stage. The workshop thus represents another promising step toward more resilient and sovereign space.

Handelsblatt Conference “Security and Defence”

This year's Handelsblatt conference on security and defence once again impressively demonstrated the importance of space for the future of security and defence policy in Germany and Europe. The conference kicked off the year by bringing together key players from politics, the Bundeswehr, industry, and science.
The discussion panel “Europe's space industry on the rise: technologies, partnerships, resilience” with Prof. Andreas Knopp focused on a key question: How competitive is Europe's space industry in a global comparison, and what technologies are needed to ensure strategic independence?
The tenor was clear: Europe's – and especially Germany's – space industry is at a decisive turning point.
Yes, a clear development strategy for German space companies is needed. But it is equally clear that the development of critical space capabilities for the Bundeswehr, especially in the area of satellite communications, must not be delayed.
The right way forward is a two-stage approach:
1. In the short term, quickly bring a commercially available capability into orbit to meet acute needs.
2. At the same time, immediately and consistently initiate development by German industry, with the clear goal of completely replacing, not just supplementing, the initial solutions in the next stage of expansion.