Our team and mission

The Radio Frequency Payloads and Technology Division is responsible for RF payloads and technologies for space applications and associated laboratory facilities. More specifically TEC-EF responsibilities encompass at subsystem and instrument level:

• Payloads with RF interface exploiting different technologies (e.g., analogue, digital, optical) including design and performance analysis tools and testing;
• RF active and passive instruments, including design and performance analysis, engineering and testing up to sub-millimetre waves;
• Telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C) subsystems, payload data transmission (PDT) subsystems including deep space and near Earth transponders, proximity and intersatellite (ISL) link antennas and equipment, high speed downlink modulators, digital communication equipment;
• Wave-propagation and interaction, including signal impairments and regulatory aspects;
• Performance assessment of RF and Optical remote sensing data products (including spurious effects mitigation and calibration techniques) at Level-1 and Level-2, and associated data processing techniques;
• Antenna systems, architecture, technologies, and techniques for all space applications, including space vehicle TT&C and user segment terminals, sub- millimetre wave instruments and associated technologies, as well as antenna engineering, and RF testing of antenna and materials;
• RF technologies and RF equipment, also including vacuum electronics and high-power RF phenomena (multipactor, corona and passive intermodulation);
• RF Payload digital equipment, and on-board Payload Signal and Data Processing algorithms and techniques for RF payloads and instruments in close collaboration with TEC-ED; and
• Time and frequency references, modelling, design tools, measurements, performance characterisation and calibration techniques.

The Antennas and Sub-millimetre Waves Section provides functional support to ESA projects in all the application directorates and carries out technological research (R&D) in the field(s) of space antenna systems, submillimetre wave instruments and associated technologies.

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Array Fed Transmitarray for Satcom Applications

The activity proposes an antenna configuration based on a transmit array and a reduced size phased array. The goal of the work is to magnify the directivity while enhancing the scanning capabilities of a small sized phased array using periodic transmission surfaces, like transmit-array type. The concept involves a feed system consisting of a microstrip tiled based phased array with a limited number of elements. Phased arrays exhibit a restricted scanning range loss free, substantial complexity in the beam forming network and high power consumption. By incorporating a transmit-array, the goal is to magnify the directivity of the tiled phased array of limited size and improve the scanning performance in terms of scan loss, angular range and side lobe levels (SLL).
Exploring solutions that allow beam reconfigurability without increasing dramatically the complexity of the beamforming network, the weight and/or the power consumption is of high interest for us.

Activities for this internship include (but are not necessarily limited to):

• Study of the state of the art of multifocal techniques previously developed for mechanically steered transmit-arrays, where the surface is designed considering multiple focal points, enabling the phase aberrations to be smeared across different beam directions;
• Antenna architecture for a particular application;
• Correction of the different beams incident on the surface by compensating and smoothing the phase aberration for each scan angle, using multi-focal optimisation techniques;
• Assessment of the performance enhancement when applying the multifocal scanning technique in combination with an electronically scanning phased array;
• Enhancement of the antenna configuration integrating the periodic structure on a geometry with low F/D;
• Complementing the antenna design using dual-band unit cells, enabling simultaneous uplink and downlink communication.         

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 antennas and electromagnetics is an asset.