Our team and mission

The Propulsion, Aerothermodynamics, and Flight Vehicles Engineering Division is responsible for the technical and strategic management of all areas related to chemical, electric and advanced propulsion, fluid mechanics and flight vehicles engineering.

In particular, the Division covers the following domains and responsibilities:

• providing technical expertise in propulsion, fluid mechanics, aerothermodynamics and flight vehicle engineering (e.g. propulsion systems and components, spacecraft platforms, vehicles subsystems, ground and flying test benches, technology demonstrations, etc.);
• fostering multidisciplinary activities, with the emphasis on innovative cross- cutting concepts and system architectures in interaction with other technical fields (e. g. thermal, structure, power, guidance, navigation and control);
• maintenance and Operation of the ESA Propulsion and Fluid Mechanics Laboratories;
• developing and maintaining MDO / /CFD simulation tools, including HPC for Project support, independent x-check analysis and R&D activities;
• establishing and implementing standards in the propulsion and fluid mechanics domain;
• providing the focal points to Project teams in architecture design, analysis and technical assessment of space transportation propulsion systems and spacecraft platforms, covering expendable vehicle, orbital station keeping, manoeuvring and transfer platforms, (re)-entry, landing and reusable vehicles, and other key enabling capabilities for space logistics, in close coordination with the Mechanical, Thermal and Propulsion Engineering Architects.

The Aerothermodynamics and Flight Vehicles Engineering Section provides expertise and functional support to ESA projects and carries out technology research & development on flight vehicles, flight physics, aerodynamics, thermodynamics and fluidic engineering. The Section is also the focal point for the architecture design, analysis and technical assessment of flight vehicles, including suborbital, (re-)entry, space transportation and exploration vehicles.

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Fluid Sloshing and Multiphase Aspects for Spacecraft and Launchers

Sloshing and multiphase flow aspects are crucial for the understanding of spacecraft behaviour because they directly impact the stability and control of the vehicle. When dealing with cryogenic fluids, additional aspects of thermal conditioning and propellant management (e.g. boil-off) become of high importance. Modelling of these phenomena is complex, as it is inherently a multi-physics problem: fluid dynamics, fluid-structure interaction, thermal/thermodynamic aspects, with close links to spacecraft dynamics.

As an intern, you will have the opportunity to look into these aspects. Depending on your background and interest, the following objectives could be envisaged:

• validation of simplified sloshing models with high-fidelity simulations;
• coupling of fluid sloshing simulations and spacecraft dynamics;
• assessment and analysis of multi-phase aspects for cryogenics;
• modelling of fluid-structure interaction between propellant and a (bladder) tank.

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 Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and programming (e.g. C++, Python) is an asset.