Intern in the Research and Payloads Group

Our team and mission

The Research and Payloads Group manages and controls the financial sub-envelope allocated to SciSpacE and the exploration science activities in accordance with the E3P Work Plan. This shall include the industrial costs delegated to the various projects and the associated internal costs; define the research strategy and priorities for ISS, non-ISS platforms and the robotic exploration of Moon and Mars in close coordination with the scientific community and the member states as customers;  provide the end-to-end management for the ESA ISS research programme focusing on customer needs and maximising scientific and economic benefits; provide the end-to-end management and integration function for the ESA ISS utilisation activities (scientific research, technology demonstrators, exploration preparation activities, education and communication); implement the multi-increment planning function and generate the strategic and tactical ISS utilisation plan, among other tasks.

The SciSpacE Physical Sciences section coordinates the ESA research programme in Physical sciences, using various microgravity platforms including the International Space Station, Moon, and Mars. Projects cover a wide range of Physical Sciences topics like Earth atmospheric measurement, ultraprecise cold atom sensors, quantum information and high-energy particles, soft or complex matter, boiling, evaporation and heat transfer, and advanced materials processing. 

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: Space debris recycling for space exploration

New exploration missions to the Moon imply building a permanent habitat as an outpost for human exploration of Mars and beyond. However, energy and resources in space are sparsely present. The utilisation of space debris (dead satellites, rocket debris) could be a source of material but would require advanced capture and processing techniques. As an intern, you will conduct an analysis of the energy and assess the sustainability of these processes.

2) Topic 2: Thermal extraction of water from Moon soil

The permanent human habitation of human on the Moon has been considered because of the proximity to the Earth, especially with the discovery of water in the lunar poles. However, the water is stored in porous media (lunar soil) with an average temperature of 40K at the surface. Sublimation of water in Lunar soil, may be able to extract water. Some works have been conducted but the dynamic of water transport in porous media is largely unknown. As an intern, you will model the dynamic of water extraction porous media in the Moon environment and assess the efficiency of the process.

3) Topic 3: Marine transport emission of Green House Gases: measurements from the International Space Station (ISS)

Increasing awareness of the Green House Gas (GHG) emission in climate change has spawned several initiatives to identify sources using satellite data. Instruments onboard the ISS have demonstrated high capabilities and may be able to quantify the point sources emissions. As an itern, you will study the GHG measurements from the International Space Station (ISS) focusing on ships and marine transport.

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.

1) Topic 1: 

• Practical knowledge and experience of Modelling tool (Matlab, Python)
• Academic knowledge of rocket engineering
• Academic Knowledge of thermodynamic (Energy, Exergy, Enthalpy)

2) Topic 2:

• Practical knowledge and experience modelling tool flow in porous media (Comsol, Matlab, Python)
• Academic knowledge of thermodynamic

3) Topic 3:

• Practical knowledge and experience of modeling tool (Matlab, Python)
• Academic knowledge or experience of data management of Earth Observation data (for example OCO3)