Intern in the Mission Operations Department - JUICE Flight Control Team
Darmstadt, DE
Location
ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany
Our team and mission
Our team is responsible for mission preparation and flight operations for the ESA fleet of solar and interplanetary spacecraft. The Division currently operates multiple missions (Mars Express, Exomars-TGO, BepiColombo, Solar Orbiter, HERA and JUICE) and is preparing for the launch of several others (Rosalind Franklin Mission, RAMSES, Comet Interceptor, Argonaut and EnVision).
JUICE - JUpiter ICy moons Explorer - is the first large mission in the ESA Cosmic Vision programme. The mission was launched in April 2023 and is currently en route to Jupiter, encountering several gravity assist manoeuvres at Earth and Venus on its way. After the arrival at Jupiter in 2031, JUICE will spend at least 5 years making a thorough investigation of the Jupiter system in all its complexity with emphasis on the three ocean‐bearing Galilean moons Ganymede, Europa and Callisto, and their potential habitability.
The flight control team of JUICE is currently preparing the Earth gravity assist in September 2026 and monitoring the spacecraft through the phase of the mission while being close to Sun. In early 2027, the spacecraft will be entering cold Cruise, where most constraints are relaxed, and a number of spacecraft and payload activities are being prepared.
JUICE is a complex interplanetary mission with several constraints imposed by the distance to the Sun (driving power availability), the distance to Earth (driving communications delay, limited data return and autonomy), thermal environment, severe radiation in the Jupiter system and a long Cruise phase, which is focused on saving platform unit lifetime, but also knowledge management.
Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int
Field(s) of activity for the internship
You can choose between the following topics:
Topic 1: Enhancement of the ground-based mission planning system used for spacecraft command generation, with a focus on improving link budget calculations and tuning of the spacecraft power model.
Topic 2: Development of telemetry monitoring tools for the JUICE Flight Control Team. This activity involves the creation of automated monitoring applications that process housekeeping telemetry and compare spacecraft configuration parameters retrieved from telemetry against their expected values, enabling the identification of configuration inconsistencies and anomalies.
You will report to the JUICE Spacecraft Operations Manager. You will be integrated in the JUICE Flight Control Team and will be able to experience routine operations of a deep space spacecraft. You will mainly interact with people in the Flight Control Team; however, you will be also expected to analyse and reuse experience and lessons learned from previous/on-going deep space missions.
This position will grant you broad insight into the different aspects of spacecraft operations preparation and execution, including platform, instruments and ground segment for a complex interplanetary mission.
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 in your final or second-to-last year of university course 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.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness
ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.
At the Agency we value diversity, and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us via email at ESA.Student.Internships@esa.int.
Important Information and Disclaimer
During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.
The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding internship conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.
Nationality
Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).