In collaboration with our Japanese colleagues, we have developed a prototype plasma thruster with diametrically opposed nozzles that can be controlled to push the satellite forward or backward. Using autonomous on board radar, the satellite can hunt pieces of space junk and blast them with one of the plasma nozzles whilst the other plasma nozzle keeps the satellite close to the space junk. Research on this topic is extremely broad and extends from investigating the basic physics of collisionless non-local plasma phenomena occurring in the nozzle to working out Keplerian elements of the orbits and strategies on finding and following the space junk.

A background in Physics or Engineering is desirable.