Master Thesis Student in Aerospace, Physics, Mathematics, m/w/d

The DLR Institute of Communications and Navigation is dedicated to mission-oriented research in selected areas of communications and navigation. Its work ranges from the theoretical foundations to the demonstration of new procedures and systems in a real environment and is embedded in DLR's Space, Aeronautics, Transport, Security and Digitalization programmes.

What To Expext

Precise Point Positioning with Ambiguity Resolution (PPP-AR) is a high-accuracy GNSS user positioning technique that combines precise satellite orbit, clock offset and bias products with integer ambiguity resolution at the user receiver. This is widely used in geodesy, precise orbit determination, autonomous systems, and other applications where a centimeter-level positioning is required without relying on a local reference station.

Ambiguity resolution is a key step in PPP-AR because the carrier-phase ambiguities are resolved to their integer values, improving positioning precision and convergence. However, a reliable ambiguity fixing depends strongly on the quality of observations, satellite precise products, and proper stochastic modelling and bias handling.

The Detection, Identification and Adaptation (DIA) framework is widely used for quality control, which provides a rigorous statistical procedure to detect and identify the mismodelling. This thesis should evaluate how DIA testing framework can be implemented into mixed-integer models for PPP-AR, looking at how different detection and adaptation strategies might affect the final solution, and quantify improvements that can be obtained in float and fixed positioning performance.

Your Tasks

• the candidate will research quality control for precise positioning with ambiguity resolution (PPP-AR)


• literature review to understand the processing workflow of GNSS positioning, unteger ambiguity resolution


• quality-control scheme under DIA framework in an existing PPP-AR software


• analyzing positionig performance using DIA quality control and to compare different strategies

Your Profile

• Experience with programming languages (Python & MATLAB)


• Background on estimation and statistical testing theory


• Understanding of GNSS positioning principles


• Optional: knowledge of precise point positioning, ambiguity resolution


• Fluent in English

We look forward to getting to know you!

If you have any questions about this position (Vacancy‑ID 5586) please contact: Prof. Dr. Michael Meurer
Tel.: