PhD with On-Orbit Manufacturing for Spacecraft Infrastructure

'A spacecraft building spacecraft in space’
PhD with On-Orbit Manufacturing for Spacecraft Infrastructure

PhD student – Richard Arundal

Sponsor – self/Arundal Astronautics Ltd

Supervisor - Dr Jasper Graham Jones

I had a vision to set up my own spacecraft engineering company in the South West of England, so founded Arundal Astronautics Ltd in 2015. I wanted to research ‘On Orbit Manufacturing’, or as I call it ‘spacecraft building spacecraft in space’. Completing a PhD alongside the technical start-up business would give me and the business credibility, and my research clarity and focus.

‘Building a factory in space’ is enormously complex. Linking to the advanced manufacturing capability at the University of Plymouth has really helped me get a clear direction for my research and narrowed down the scope of my PhD into a feasible project plan.


Benefits for the business - Arundal Astronautics Ltd

"Studying my PhD has improved my critical thinking and research skills, to be able to filter through huge amounts of information or documentation to pick out exactly what is needed – that's an acquired skill. Also, the ability to ‘deep dive’ into a subject and explore things that haven’t necessarily been looked at before. The innovation within the PhD and finding different ways of looking at new things has been enjoyable. 

Completing a PhD alongside the technical start up business would give me and the business credibility, and my research clarity and focus."

Richard Arundal, PhD student and Funder of Arundal Astronautics Ltd

Richard Arundal - On-Orbit Manufacturing for Spacecraft Infrastructure

The PhD experience with Plymouth has been very, very positive. I was surprised how quickly my project took form and was given a clear direction - it’s evolved quickly, and I am very pleased with that. 

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