Master Thesis: Circularity in Satellite and Terrestrial Communications

## Join our Team About this opportunity: Satellite communications are expanding rapidly, with more satellites being launched and plans emerging to move data-processing capacity into space. These developments may bring technological benefits, but they also raise sustainability concerns related to greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, energy use, and material consumption. Resource circularity is a particular challenge: current approaches often give limited attention to recovering infrastructure sent into orbit and managing it at end of life. This thesis will assess these issues through a comparative life-cycle analysis (LCA) of satellite and terrestrial communication solutions. What you will do: * Compare satellite and terrestrial communication systems from a global perspective, including both ground-based and orbital infrastructure. * Assess environmental impacts, focusing on energy use, GHG emissions, material and resource efficiency, and the risk of resource depletion. * Develop an LCA approach informed by published research, interviews with internal and external stakeholders, and independent research. The skills you bring: * A quantitative comparative LCA describing the environmental impacts of terrestrial communication relative to satellite solutions under current conditions. * A forward-looking assessment of expected materials use, energy demand, and GHG emissions over the next 10–20 years.