Despite all current efforts, climate change is the greatest challenge of the 21st century. Since existing measures will fail to prevent critical tipping points from being reached, in addition to terrestrial geoengineering methods, efforts are underway to explore new ways to implement space-based geoengineering methods into the short-term construction of a buffer solution - the International Planetary Sunshade (IPSS). The IPSS system reduces solar irradiation mitigating the global mean temperature rise while offering a sustainable energy supply. The developement of the system poses multifaceted challenges only to be mastered by a collaboration of space agencies and private companies, while supported by society. Therefore, tackling the IPSS within international roadmaps is essential to exploit synergies, shorten development time, and promote international cooperation. An evolutionary concept achieves stepwise Earth independence by utilizing lunar resources. The feasibility of the IPSS also depends on the foil’s supporting structure. Therefore, a lightweight manufacturing technology that meets several criteria, such as scalability, adaptivity, material compatibility, full automation, on-orbit manufacturing, in-situ resource utilization, and digital design including function integration, must be adopted. Hence, coreless filament winding (CFW) may be a suitable technology for realizing the demanded mass savings. The prerequisite for the superiority of CFW structures is an application- and material-compliant component and fiber net design. Previous experience with CFW cannot be directly transferred to the IPSS system due to the changed requirements for space application. This paper will present a systematic design concept for the IPSS, initially exploring a CFW support structure by discussing segmentation and modularity, proposing a new connection system, and implementing function integration.

A strong connection between research and teaching at a university is crucial to offer students a unique opportunity to put in practice the concepts taught in theoretical lectures. At the University of Stuttgart, several hands-on training courses have been offered for eight years within the module “Selected hands-on training for space”. Those are adapted to the current research at the Institute of Space Systems. During one semester, students participate in two of the offered courses and are evaluated through an exam or a report. Three ECTS for the space specialization in the aerospace engineering Master are granted after successful completion. The limited places offered are usually filled up in matter of hours and the students’ feedback has been very positive every year. The module includes up to five different courses, depending on the semester. The Life Support Systems seminar is focused on the cultivation of microalgae, linked to the institute’s ISS Experiment photobioreactor PBR@LSR. After learning the basic life support system concepts, the students build and conduct their own microalgae photobioreactor experiment. In the Missions Analysis practical seminar, based on the work of several PhD candidates, the participants learn and put in practice aspects of mission planning with the help of the Astos Solutions software as well as the SPICE toolkit. During the Rendezvous and Docking practical training, students learn about the operation and handling of a spacecraft. Besides theoretical lectures, guided sessions in the simulator allow to put into practice the handling of common complex procedures, audio-visual perception and motor skills. This seminar is linked to the research carried out in the SIMSKILL experiment. In the Earth Remote Sensing seminar, students learn how to handle payload data for Earth observation and their scientific evaluation. The Flying Laptop, a satellite fully built at the institute and launched in 2017, is used for this course. Finally, the research carried out in the field of electrolysers and fuel cells for space applications at the institute prompted the establishment of a training course. After deepening their knowledge on both electrolysers and fuel cells, the students prepare, carry out and evaluate various experiments. This paper presents the different training courses from our institute and their link to the current research.

The Stuttgart Space Station Design Workshop, aimed at university students and young professionals, focuses on the conceptual design of a space station in an interdisciplinary and international environment within a limited timeframe. It lasts about one week and has been carried out by the Institute of Space Systems – University of Stuttgart for over 20 years. The goal of the workshop, besides its educational purpose, is to obtain creative solutions from the future generation of space experts. For the participants, the SSDW offers a unique opportunity for learning by doing and to get involved in a space project. Participants do not only need to apply their knowledge obtained during their university courses but also to put in practice and improve soft skills. The workshop starts with some lectures in relevant fields such as Project Management, Systems Engineering, as well as the different subsystems, for example Life Support. The participants are then divided into two teams. To monitor the teams’ progress several milestones and reviews are planned during the week. Several tools, guides, recipes and experts are available during the workshop. Within the team, each member has a specific role, which is defined before the workshop starts, allowing preparation. The mission statement of the workshop changes every year, adapting to the current plans on human spaceflight exploration. The results of the last editions have been presented at international renowned conferences. In 2020, due to the current COVID-19 situation the workshop was cancelled. In 2021, with increasing vaccination rates in Europe, the situation had improved. However, carrying out such an international in-person workshop was still not an option. For that, the core team decided to carry out for the first time the SSDW in a digital form. Adapting the existing workshop to a digital form presented many challenges but at the same time offered many opportunities. This version has allowed to join participants and staff, that would not have been able to attend in-person, and has also opened new possibilities of communication, using currently existing tools. This paper first introduces the main characteristics of the workshop before it presents a comparison between the 2019 edition, which took place in-person, and the 2021 edition, the first digital SSDW. It summarizes the activities that took place during the one-week workshop, the tools used, and the feedback provided by the participants and staff