Thomas SinnFounder

Germany - Germering, Bavaria

Thomas is the founder of DCUBED (Deployables Cubed GmbH), a start-up focusing the development of actuators and deployables specifically designed for New Space applications. Before that he worked at HPS GmbH in Munich as the Section Head for Deployable Sails and Nanosatellites including project management and system engineering (12/2014 - 09/2019). In 2014 he worked in the structures division TEC-MSS of ESA's ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL) as part of the DLR GTP. His main task lied within the support for the Agency's on-going spacecraft programs with respect to structural engineering including preparatory studies on ultrastable deployable structures, 3D printing and sloshing.

During his PhD at the Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory (ASCL) of the University of Strathclyde (2010-2014), Thomas worked on the design, simulation and control of deployable smart space structures, with a special interest on gossamer systems. He was also either project manager, design lead or AIT engineer of the sounding rocket and stratospheric balloon experiments Suaineadh (REXUS12), iSEDE (BEXUS16) and StrathSat-R (REXUS15). Each of these experiments was investigating a different approach for deploying large structures in space.

Before joining the Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory in October 2010 after obtaining his MSc in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Kansas, United States of America. During his MSc he worked in the field of advanced composite materials and adaptive structures which led to the thesis: “Development of an Adaptive Flap/Flaperon Flight Control System with Shape Memory Alloy Actuation”. From 2004 to 2008, Thomas undertook his undergraduate studies in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Stuttgart (Germany) with a focus in Space System Design and Lightweight Construction.