Our team and mission

The Directorate of Space Transportation (D/STS) mission is the European independent access to and freedom in space. The Directorate's main activities are related to the:

• development and exploitation of Ariane and Vega launch systems;
• maintenance and upgrading of the European Space port (CSG) in Kourou, French Guiana;
• development of new launch and space transportation systems, including reusable demonstrators.

Within the Directorate, the Space Transportation Technology Coordination Office (STS-CT), part of the Chief Technical Advisor Office (STS-C) is involved in selected critical preparatory activities with the industry for enabling critical informed decisions by Member States on developing future European transportation capabilities, and has the mission of fostering transversal technology synergies across STS and ESA, seeking shared and optimised technology roadmaps for Europe.

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Composite Structures for Reusable Space Transportation Systems

In the framework of this internship, you will perform analysis cross-checks to support the design optimisation of reusable space transportation systems, with a focus on launchers' primary structures such as composite stages, tanks, interstages and fairings, with the specificities of reusability (e.g. service life, detection of defects, delamination, repairability). Therefore, your internship will focus on the design optimisation of several structural elements of different reusable launch and/or re-entry vehicle architectures employing composite materials. The objective is to investigate the design trade-offs and performance implications, with particular attention to structural components delamination for reusability.
More specifically, your tasks will include:

• review existing expendable and reusable space transportation systems configurations;
• define reference missions and baseline reusable vehicles parameters (e.g., vehicle mass, structural loads);
• identify possible composite structural solutions for the different elements (e.g., stages, tanks, interstages, fairings);
• perform conceptual design optimisation, mass estimation and structural sizing of the vehicles;
• assess the impact of reusability on key design parameters and loads;
• provide advantages and disadvantages of the investigated composite structural solutions.

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 are an asset:

• experience and/or skills in space and aerospace systems and related technical fields, in particular in the field of composite materials, sandwich structures, structural analysis and simulations (buckling, delamination, fracture mechanics).