Our team and mission

The Power Systems, EMC and Space Environments Division is responsible for all aspects of power systems required for ESA spacecraft and payloads. More specifically TEC- EP responsibilities encompass:

• Power sources such as solar generators and nuclear devices;
• Electrical energy storage devices such as batteries, super capacitors and fuel cells;
• Electrical Power management and conditioning systems;
• Nuclear power system engineering;
• Power distribution and protection techniques & technologies;
• Electrical harness design and engineering;
• EMC modelling, engineering and related testing;
• Analysis and modelling of space environments and their effects on space systems;
• Design of space environments and effects monitoring hardware;
• Supporting standardisation activities for all the above listed technologies.

The Power Systems, EMC and Space Environments Division activities also encompass system trade-offs and detailed assessment of the related technologies, as well as bread-boarding and testing in the associated laboratories and facilities: the Electromagnetic Laboratory and its facilities, the ESA Space Power Laboratory and its facilities in Solar Generation, Power, and Energy Storage (Battery and Fuel Cells).

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Spacecraft internal and surface charging effects modelling and tool validation in the context of the planned Enceladus mission

The ESA Space Environments and Effects Section has the remit to analyse the various contributors to the space environment and the related effects on all ESA spacecraft, their payloads, and instrumentation. One of these environmental effects concerns surface and internal charging due to the ambient energetic charged particles (plasma and radiation) present in space. Such charging can lead to electrostatic discharges in different critical systems of the spacecraft, as well as interference effects and noise affecting data return from onboard instrumentation. Under this internship, you will be learning to use various existing models and software tools for spacecraft charging modelling, prediction and analysis, and use them in particular in the context of the planned ESA L-Class science mission to Enceladus, one of the moons of Saturn. This specific plasma and radiation environment in the outer Solar System is thus far largely unexplored, and hence a topic of various ongoing studies. As an outcome of the work, comparisons between different existing environmental models and available data will be made with recommendations for their improvement, and worst-case charging regions for the mission will be identified.

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 space physics, space environments, and/or relevant models and IT tools used in the domain is an asset.