Fehse studied mechanics and aircraft guidance, navigation and control at the
Technische Universität Berlin (
Germany), where he received his
Diplom in 1965. In 1972, the doctor's degree (summa cum laude) has been conferred on him by the Aerospace Institute of Technische Universität Berlin for his research and thesis on hydrostatic bearings as frictionless suspension in navigation instruments. In addition, in 1965 through 1973, he was responsible for the development of inertial navigation sensors and gyrostabilizers for satellites at Teldix (now
Rockwell Collins, Inc.) in Heidelberg (Germany). In the following years he worked at
ESTEC, the main technology development and test centre for spacecraft and space technology of the
European Space Agency (ESA) at Noordwijk,
The Netherlands, on attitude control and precision pointing problems and became later Head of the Navigation and Guidance Section. There, he and his teams at ESA and in industry developed basic techniques and technologies for automated rendezvous and docking of spacecraft, which are being applied in international space projects, such as the
Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), the first West-European spacecraft that docked automatically to the
International Space Station (ISS) in April 2008. Since his retirement in 2002, Fehse supports European space companies as a consultant and adviser in rendezvous and coupling issues. These include rendezvous with non-cooperative targets (e.g. removal of space debris in
Low Earth Orbit) and servicing of
geostationary satellites disturbed by the effects of
solar pressure. Furthermore, he continues to give specific lectures at universities and international institutes and industry. Fehse is internationally known for his work in the area of
automated rendezvous and docking/berthing of spacecraft. In addition to his numerous publications, his handbook on
Automated Rendezvous and Docking of Spacecraft has been widely recognized. In 2011, his handbook has been translated into the Chinese language. He contributed to the Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering - issued in 2010 - by writing the section on close proximity rendezvous and docking (RVD). In 2013 he wrote "Safety of Rendezvous and Docking Operations" as part of the Handbook on "Safety Design for Space Operations". ==Publications (short list)==