Our graduate has developed a power system for planetary penetrator. The purpose for this type of device is to penetrate the surface of the studied celestial bodies, such as Mars, comets or the Moon. In this way, various sensors can be introduced or samples taken from depths of up to several meters.

Konrad Aleksiejuk, a holder of the ABB Award, photo submitted

- I have developed a power supply system for a new type of penetrator - driven by a magnetic armature, and not by means of a spring stretched by the motor, as before - says Konrad Aleksiejuk, M.Sc. – This solution enables the adjustment of the device's operating parameters to the conditions in the tested object. The analysis of the use of silicon carbide semiconductor elements in the space environment was crucial. The power supply I have developed is also based on SiC transistors.

Our graduate, during his studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology, was an active member of the Students’ Robotics Association KNR. He was, i.a., the main electronics engineer in the Mars rover project, which competed in the international competition - University Rover Challenge. Currently, Konrad Aleksiejuk, M.Sc., works at the "Space Research Center", where he specializes in testing and developing power supplies for space missions.

The ABB Award Competition recognizes the best engineering, master's or doctoral dissertations in various areas of technology: from automation, through IT and autonomous systems, to cloud computing.

This year the competition was held for the eighteenth time.

Konrad Aleksiejuk’s (M.Sc.) master's thesis has been earlier awarded in the competition of the Polish Space Agency.