SOP Sample for MSc Aerospace Engineering in the UK

Statement of Purpose

[NAME] Astronautics and Space Engineering (MSc)

It all began with chapter six of my sixth grade Science textbook named "The Universe". It would not be wrong to say that it gave me, an aimless teenager a target to achieve and discover for the rest of her life. The most intriguing aspect about space to me was that it is incredibly mysterious, filled with unanswered questions, its concepts are theoretically proven but practically unachieved and only the lucky ones with their passion and hard work would fulfil their desire to experience it in their lifetime. On the other hand, machines were a significant part of my life not because I directly worked on them from the beginning but, they were the source of income for my family. Therefore, I decided to work on the other side of the craft to expand my spectrum of knowledge in the field of machines and to lay a strong foundation for my long-term goal of studying space engineering. And thus, I have chosen Astronautics and Space Engineering at your University to take another step towards realizing my dreams.

During my school, I was nominated for the 4th International Academy of Merit (State and National Award) for outstanding achievement in the preliminary, mains I, and II rounds of [COMPETITION_NAME] under the reference of [ORGANIZATION], London (2013). I had to present an innovation in an hour that I would like to make in the future and I demonstrated the hypothesis of a gadget that would measure the rate at which the universe is expanding. I qualified for the next round among 10,000 students in my state and got an opportunity to participate in the national-level quiz rounds.

I pursued my undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering from [UNIVERSITY_NAME]. I stood second and won a silver medal in my whole department of over 100 students. In this course, I got an opportunity to work on multiple aspects of building a product like designing, analysing, and sometimes physically creating the idea in the form of a 3D printed object that could be a machine, a model of furniture, or a prosthetic. I have developed a command over the core areas like Kinematics of Machines, Dynamics of Machinery, Control Engineering, Finite Element Method, among others. Additionally, I chose to study electives that would ease my transition from a mechanical to an aerospace domain like Computational Fluid Dynamics, Robotics, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning. Furthermore, I took up online courses like Advanced MATLAB for Scientific Computing offered by [UNIVERSITY_NAME] and Design & Simulate the Aerodynamics of Propellers in MATLAB offered by [ONLINE_PLATFORM].

I have executed my theoretical knowledge into working models on various projects. I became a member of [ORGANIZATION] and took part in the Technical Innovation Forum for Agriculture Nurturing (TIFAN-2018) in a team of 14 members. The project aimed at creating a Self-Propelled Onion Harvester and I was primarily in the design team, where my responsibilities were to carry out calculations, 2D design the layouts of our vehicle, and later upgrade them into the 3D model using Autodesk Fusion 360. In the initial stage of the project, I won a sponsor for our project and achieved sponsorship of 30,000 INR. The innovation was to build a mechanism that would not only just harvest the onions from the field but also separate the dirt from it simultaneously. It was a drum-type (basket-like) separator and it turned out to be the most challenging part of the project. Initially, the size of the separator was smaller in comparison to the conveyor belt and the rotation of the drum increased during the testing phase. The whole separator mechanism was re-designed and finally reached the result. In addition, I did a project with a group of 5 named Docbouy: Search and Rescue robot. The objective was to supply essential goods to people or soldiers that are stranded in snow-filled areas. It reports the exact GPS location to the base station. The internal compartment was fitted with Peltier modules so that the food and medicine remain defrosted at all times, and it is an automated mechanism. The mobility in the snow was on the wheel-fitted conveyor belt mechanism but, we realised practically it was not sufficient to achieve the expected movement. Therefore, there was an addition of sucker pressure friction caps designed to provide efficient support to provide stability for motion in the snow. My responsibilities involved the designing of the robot on CatiaV5. I also got the experience to work on MATLAB for image processing while undertaking the project.

After my under graduation, I was accepted into the position of Graduate Engineering Trainee at [COMPANY_NAME]. The organisation deals in oil and gas downstream operations. I achieved promotion to the position of Junior Engineer the following year based on my performance. Subsequently, I became the first on-field female engineer of my organization. In my training phase, I worked on the end-to-end detail design of the fuel stations. This experience allowed me to work on AutoCAD as a professional with precision and efficiency. Later, I was on-boarded to the on-field team that deals with the execution of the fuel station. My prime focus in the field was to undertake quality checks of fuel system products, conduct fuel system tests, and resolve the issues related to the fuel systems equipment. This experience allowed me the opportunity to interact with our [COMPANY_NAME] clients and our L3 partners. Being a representative of a second level in the hierarchy made me grow as an individual with better interpersonal skills, leadership skills, management skills and gave me a platform for decision-making under critical circumstances.

Even though academics were my priority at every stage of my life, I also participate in extra-curriculum activities that would enhance other skills. I was the Campus Ambassador for the tech-event [EVENT_NAME] 2018 at my university and received a Letter-of-Recommendation for being among the top 25 performers. I volunteered for [EVENT_NAME] (India) and was a part of the research team that worked on registering and interviewing the visitors for improvement. At present, I have completed 3 out of 5 levels of Japanese within the span of a year. While volunteering for [EVENT_NAME] an Indo-Japanese Cultural Exchange program, I got an opportunity to interact with the Japanese citizens and understand their culture in person.

These experiences have given me the exposure and confidence to seek better technical skills and innovative challenges in the future. I have therefore decided to apply for the MSc in Astronautics and Space Engineering program offered by [UNIVERSITY_NAME]. The courses offered by your university cover my academic areas of interest. However, it is the advanced research ecosystem and innovation-friendly environment that ultimately led me to choose this university. I read [PROFESSOR_NAME]'s research that deals with the sustainability of outer space through debris management and monitoring the environmental changes in the Earth through remote sensing. My previous research experiences have allowed me to understand the scope of his research. I wish to hone my research and technical skills under the guidance of faculty members like [PROFESSOR_NAME]. Students under the program also get to fly during a student experience flight in your National Flying Laboratory Centre's (NFLC) light aircraft. This is a precious opportunity for me to understand the effects of control, spatial disorientation and the effects of "G" forces for this program would literally, give wings to my dreams.

It is no secret that the debris out there is exponentially increasing and demands action. I would see myself as a space engineer that would work on the sustainability of the space environment and also aim to be an analog astronaut to start with and finally an astronaut. I cannot imagine my future in any other field or working in any other occupation but the space technology sector. Ultimately, this master's program would bridge the gap between my dreams and reality. This course would be my stepping stone towards my goal of working on space systems. It will impart the intellectual and practical competence required to be a part of the space industry. Thus, I look forward to this exciting journey and I am grateful for this opportunity to express myself.