Our Students at ArianeGroup Site in Lampoldshausen for the Orbital Propulsion Workshop

Students from ITU Department of Astronautical Engineering have been accepted into the internship program to be held at ArianeGroup’s facility in Germany.

As part of the collaboration developed between ITU’s Department of Astronautical Engineering and ArianeGroup, our undergraduate students Zuhal Çakmak and Memiş Efe Özer have earned the opportunity to intern at ArianeGroup’s Space Propulsion Center in Lampoldshausen, Germany. The students will participate in studies focused on spacecraft propulsion systems during the internship program, which will take place from August 4 to 15, 2025.

Memiş Efe Özer, one of the students accepted into the internship, shared his thoughts on this experience with the following words:

“Aerospace engineering can open many doors for those who work with passion. However, reaching those doors requires determination, patience, and proper guidance. This valuable internship opportunity provided by our department is the most tangible example of that process. I believe the experiences I will gain at ArianeGroup will contribute not only to my professional development but also to strengthening the ties between our faculty and the European space industry. By reflecting what I learn here into my academic life—especially in the Rocket Propulsion course I will take next semester—I aim to make the most of this opportunity.”

The internship program not only aims to provide participating students with practical knowledge regarding the industrial development of space propulsion systems, but also seeks to contribute to the establishment of stronger ties between the European space industry and academia, and to the development of a long-term collaboration environment between ITU Department of Astronautical Engineering and ArianeGroup.

This collaboration was established with the valuable contributions of Prof. Dr. Alim Rüstem Aslan, a faculty member of ITU Department of Astronautical Engineering, and is being carried out under the coordination of our Department Chair, Prof. Dr. Melike Nikbay. As part of this initiative, ArianeGroup experts delivered a two-day technical training program within the scope of the course UZB 420E Spacecraft Systems Design II in our department on February 24–25, 2025.

Our department aims to further strengthen Türkiye’s leading position in the field of Astronautical Engineering through such collaborations that encourage our students to gain international experience, while also cultivating future aerospace engineers as competitive individuals on the global stage.

About the Space Propulsion Center

The Space Propulsion Center is an institution operating under ArianeGroup and is located in Lampoldshausen, Germany. This facility is one of Europe’s leading centers of excellence in the field of spacecraft propulsion systems. Renowned for its expertise in quality, reliability, and high performance, the systems and components developed at the center are used in nearly all European-origin satellites and spacecraft.

ArianeGroup’s Lampoldshausen center supplies integrated propulsion systems, subsystems, and components for a variety of missions, including satellites, orbital and interplanetary spacecraft, atmospheric re-entry vehicles, resupply missions to the International Space Station, and the Orion European Service Module.