Our team and mission

The Earth and Mission Science Division, of the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department, Earth Observation Programmes Directorate, is based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre. The Earth and Mission Science Division provides the creative vision for innovation and new discoveries in Earth system science, using Earth Observation (EO) in close cooperation with the scientific community.

The Earth and Mission Science Division team:

• Bridges science and technology by translating ideas and concepts into technical reality and scientific success. It does this by defining, consolidating and managing scientific mission requirements throughout all phases of a mission, and by measuring the maturity of the resulting mission concept.
• Manages scientific research-based studies, providing the scientific foundation for mission concepts and approval, supports the successful development of space and ground segment, in-orbit satellite commissioning and in-orbit scientific achievements.
• Undertakes airborne, marine and terrestrial campaigns contributing the development of new technologies, mission feasibility assessments, calibration/validation and application development.

You will work within the Earth Surfaces and Interior Section of the Earth and Mission Science Division, whose role is to provide broad mission science support throughout the preparation and development of Earth Observation missions. Your activities will contribute to and benefit from a diverse and international team of scientists working across a variety of Earth Science disciplines.

Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Investigations into Biomass’ secondary and exploratory scientific applications

Biomass is ESA’s 7th Earth Explorer mission and was successfully launched on 29th April 2025. As part of its primary objectives, the Biomass mission will provide crucial information about the state of our forests and how they are changing.
Its unique P-band (435 MHz centre frequency) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload will also allow to retrieve information beyond the primary use case, e.g.:

• The long wavelength of P-band can also penetrate deep into ice, making it less affected by surface melt and snowfall, which can distort space-based measurements. Biomass will measure glacier and ice-sheet velocities in regions where shorter wavelength radars struggle and will be the first P-band mission to map Antarctica.
• P-band can also penetrate up to five metres through dry sand, enabling Biomass to map sub-surface geological features such as ancient riverbeds and lakes. This will help study past climates and locate fossil water resources in deserts.
• Additionally, Biomass will reveal terrain height beneath dense forests, correcting biases in digital elevation models created by shorter wavelength radars.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is seeking two talented and enthusiastic interns to join our team for a deep dive into one of the secondary and novel exploratory scientific applications of the Biomass mission. The exact choice of the topic to be studied will also depend on the candidate’s profile (and interests) and will be agreed prior to the start of the internship. Biomass satellite data products will be readily available for supporting this investigation during the full length of the internship. 

Key Responsibilities:

• conduct scientific investigations aligned with the innovative secondary objectives of the Biomass mission;
• use readily available open source software tools from the Biomass mission;
• identify and suggest areas of improvement within the existing tools concerning their use related to research of Biomass secondary applications, mainly on fundamental aspects;
• extend the processing environment specific to at least one Biomass secondary applications or exploratory topic.

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

Education

You must be a university student, preferably studying at master’s level. In addition, you must be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your University for the entire duration of the internship.

Additional requirements

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.

During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.

Knowledge and background in the following domains are required:

• a solid understanding in geophysics and/or electromagnetics;
• demonstrable knowledge and background in research that can be linked to one of the Biomass secondary science objectives;
• demonstrable programming skills with Python.

Basic knowledge of active microwave (e.g. SAR) is considered an asset.