Hi, I'm Roemer! I am the founder of the Aether team. My interest in Aerospace has always driven my studies. After my Master's in Mechanical Engineering I wanted to push this further, which led to the start of Aether in 2020. In the first year we chose the topic of atmospheric entry. The subjects we stumbled upon interested me so much, that they led me to the Research Master at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (2021-2022) and now, to a subsequent PhD. My research revolves around 'flight-to-ground duplication', the process of using a high energy plasma wind tunnel to replicate the exact flight conditions at the nose of a re-entry vehicle. The aim is to do this - for the first time - in a dynamic way, changing the test conditions to replicate a simulated entry trajectory in real time. The resulting increase in fidelity of the ground test will enable us to build more efficient Thermal Protection Systems and to better assess the demise of space debris. In my project I will examine the Aether mission as a special case study. In 2023 I was awarded the FWO 'Frank De Winne' PhD fellowship, aimed at supporting research in the space sector with a high application potential. In my free time I like to make music. I play in a band called Onionfuzz - give us a listen!