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PhD Defense · Luleå University of Technology · June 17, 2026

Space is filling up.
It's time to design for
what comes after launch.

Bernd M. Weiss presents his doctoral thesis Design for Spacecraft Reuse — a systems perspective on circularity in space. A pivotal step toward satellites that are built to be reused, not discarded.

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Public Defense

Join on June 17, 2026

Tuesday, June 17, 2026 · 9:00am CET
Luleå University of Technology, Sweden
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Thesis: Design for Spacecraft Reuse: A Systems Perspective on Circularity in Space

Counting down to defense day

The Research

Design for Spacecraft Reuse

A new design paradigm — grounded in systems thinking, circular economy principles, and orbital reality — that addresses one of the most pressing challenges in the emerging space economy.

The Problem: We Are Filling Orbit With Debris

Every satellite launched today is designed as a single-use product. Once it reaches end-of-life, it becomes orbital debris — a growing threat to the very infrastructure our modern society depends on. With hundreds of new satellites launched every month and launch costs declining rapidly, orbital congestion is accelerating. Circular economy practices exist, but their adoption in the space industry remains deeply fragmented. No systemic coordination. No shared design language. No orbital-context-aware approach to reuse.

10,000+
Active & defunct spacecraft in orbit today
~3,000
New satellites added per year — and rising
90%
Of CE practices in space remain fragmented
∞
Orbital debris is irreversible if Kessler Syndrome triggers

The Solution: Design for Spacecraft Reuse (DfSR)

DfSR is a design concept that integrates circular economy principles into satellite development from the earliest design stages. It recognizes that orbital context shapes reuse requirements — different orbital regimes (LEO, MEO, GEO, deep space) require structurally different reuse logics and design mandates. DfSR translates those system-level conditions into concrete, early-stage design decisions.

Finding 01

Fragmentation as System Failure

CE practice fragmentation is not a technology problem — it is a coordination problem. It self-reinforces across micro, meso, and macro levels without a unifying design framework.

Finding 02

Orbital Regime as Structuring Condition

Different orbital zones create fundamentally different reuse logics. LEO enables inspection and maintenance; GEO requires long-duration resilience. One framework must handle both.

Finding 03

Design as the Integrating Layer

Design is the layer that connects orbital context, system-level conditions, and circular strategies. DfSR operationalizes this connection through a regime-conditioned framework.

Five Peer-Reviewed Papers

A

Design for X: Enabling the Reuse of Space Hardware?

ICED23 · Bordeaux, France, 2023 · Establishing DfSR as a design concept

B

Guidance or Governance: Regulation as a Driver of Circular Innovation

Journal for Space Safety Engineering (in review) · Regulatory impact on circularity

C

Circular Transformation Pathways: Managing Change in Space

ASCenSIon Conference 2023 · Dresden · Change management toward CE in space

D

Integrating Operational Context and 10R-Strategies in DfSR

Design Science Journal (in review) · Regime-conditioned DfSR framework development

E

Designing Circular Systems: Production, Manufacturing & Policy

IOP Conference Series · Swedish Production Symposium 2026, Luleå

Areas of Expertise

Authority Across Six Critical Domains

From orbital design to industrial policy — a uniquely interdisciplinary profile built across research, industry, and international advisory work.

🛰️

Design for Spacecraft Reuse

The originator of the DfSR concept. Developed the first orbital-context-aware design framework for satellite reusability, from theory to practical design support tools.

♻️

Circular Economy in Space

Deep expertise in applying 10R CE strategies to space systems. Research covers fragmentation analysis, systemic coordination, and manufacturing-policy alignment for a circular space industry.

📋

Regulatory Impact Assessment

Analysis of how regulation drives — or hinders — circular innovation in space. Co-authored research on guidance vs. governance as levers for sustainable space policy.

🏭

Industrial Transformation

22+ years bridging technology, industry, and academia. Specializes in initiating and sustaining circular transitions in manufacturing — from Rust Belt reindustrialization to NewSpace.

🔗

Supply Chain Resilience

Strategic advisory on building resilient, circular supply chains for industries operating at the frontier of defense, space, and advanced manufacturing.

⚡

Dual-Use Technology

Expert perspective on how aerospace and defense technologies cross-fertilize civilian innovation — critical to reuse, resilience, and sustainable industrial futures in a security-conscious world.

#CircularSpaceEconomy #SustainableByDefault #DesignForReuse #SpaceSustainability #IndustrialTransformation #RegulatoryImpact #CircularEconomy #LifecycleThinking #NewSpace #SpaceDebris
Space research and innovation
About Bernd M. Weiss

Practitioner. Researcher. Advocate.

Starting as a tool and die maker in Germany in 1992, Bernd M. Weiss spent three decades moving from the factory floor to the frontier of the space economy — always asking the same question: what happens after we're done with it?

Today he is a doctoral researcher at Luleå University of Technology, director of advisory firm Pulsernity, and a leading voice on sustainable spacecraft design and industrial transformation.

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