Thomas is the co-founder and CEO of iBOSS GmbH, founded in 2017 in Germany. The company mission is to promote modularity and enable ultimate plug-and-play of future space infrastructure and associated logistics, utilizing specialized interface and building block technologies.
He is a structural mechanics expert who specializes in spacecraft design and weight optimization through the application of genetic and machine learning algorithms. Born in 1979, Thomas is married and has two children.
He studied mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University in Germany and Politecnico di Milano in Italy, majoring in aerospace engineering. He also gained significant work experience as a freelance software and web developer. He earned a diploma in mechanical engineering from RWTH Aachen University and subsequently worked as a full-time research engineer at the Institute of Structural Mechanics and Lightweight Design. He was later appointed the institute's chief engineer.
For over six years, Thomas was a member, and ultimately the leader, of a team of ten engineers at the institute who developed modular satellite architectures under three major DLR grants for the iBOSS joint research project (2010–2018). During his time at the institute, he developed extensive knowledge of structural mechanics, optimization using genetic algorithms, thermal-mechanical analysis, satellite thermal control, and space component qualification. He was later appointed to a lecturing position where he taught courses on the design of shell structures, spacecraft structural design, structural design and construction, and the fundamentals of finite element analysis. His research focused on developing and applying deep learning neural networks to predict the mechanical responses of lightweight structures.