Intern in the Ground Systems Engineering and Innovation Department

Our team and mission

The Ground Systems Engineering and Innovation Department is responsible for all the ground systems engineering and support activities required to support mission operations and implement innovation. The Department maintains and manages a full level of competences, technologies and services in all engineering disciplines related to ground systems, infrastructure, technology evolution and Engineering R&T and innovation. The Department provides expert support in these areas to the Directorate for all current and potential missions and leads, in the role of architect, ground systems evolution and innovation implementation in the infrastructure. The Department is furthermore responsible for the overall technical standardisation coordination for the ground segment, in the Management Council of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS).

For further information visit our web site: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity for the internship

You can choose between the following topics:

1) Topic 1: Cybersecurity for spacecraft operations applications

Cybersecurity is growing to be more and more important in spacecraft operations. It affects all layers of the mission operations infrastructure, from IT systems to mission operations applications. The objective of this topic is to look into innovative ways to improve the cybersecurity posture for the mission operations ground segment, in particular talking into account modern requirements like remote access and innovative methods such as automated security penetration testing frameworks, AI-augmented security applications and digital system security engineering.

2) Topic 2: Integrated Cubesat systems

Using the hardware and software facilities in our Lab for a reference Cubesat to provide an iOS/Android like Apps platform for space experiments. The topic is meant to be a creative opportunity for students to develop their own spacecraft on board application and by doing this learn about the spacecraft operations infrastructure.

3) Topic 3: Distributed applications and service-oriented architectures applied to spacecraft operations

Future missions will be composed of multiple assets controlled and operated by multiple entities and principal investigators. To be able to operate these missions the monitoring and control application infrastructure need to evolve into a distributed system, interconnecting multiple ground segments in a service oriented architecture. The objective of this topic is to look into and assess possible distributed operations technologies, as well as prototyping the most promising architectures. In addition, innovative areas of interest within this domain include next generation user interfaces exploiting collaborative Augment/Virtual/Extended Reality applications.

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

Education

You must have student status and be enrolled at university for the entire duration of the internship. You should preferably be in your final or second to last year of a university course at master’s level in a technical or scientific discipline.

Additional requirements

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

Educational knowledge:
1) Topic 1: Knowledge and background in software engineering and cybersecurity would be an asset.
2) Topic 2: Knowledge and background in software engineering and space systems engineering would be an asset.
3) Topic 3: Knowledge and background in software engineering, xR, and distributed systems would be an asset.