Our team and mission

The Lunar Gateway, a vital component of NASA's Artemis programme, will serve as a multipurpose outpost orbiting the Moon that provides essential support for long-term human return to the lunar surface and a staging point for deep space exploration. ESA contributes to the Lunar Gateway by providing the HALO (Habitat Logistic Outpost) Lunar Communication System (HLCS), various payloads and two pressurised modules, the International Habitat Module (I-HAB) and the ESPRIT Refuelling Module (ERM).

I-HAB will be the second habitable module of the Gateway, following NASA’s HALO module. It will complement habitability functions such as life support systems, a crew sleeping area, a galley (food warmer, water dispenser, dining area), and additional research facilities. I-HAB will have a radial docking port for the crew and Scientific Airlock accommodation, a back-up radial docking port for the Lunar Human Lander module, and an axial docking port where Orion will dock once on Gateway.
The ERM provides critical functions to the Lunar Gateway, providing xenon or bi-propellant refuelling capability to make possible the intended in-orbit lifetime. ERM will also offer astronauts a view of the Moon through six windows and will add to the logistics and stowage capabilities.

The development of both modules, ERM and I-HAB, is being carried out as an international partnership, with significant contributions from other space agencies participating in the Gateway programme, including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and NASA.

The Verification, Assembly, Integration and Test teams for both projects are responsible for maintaining the module’s technical baseline, safeguarding the complete, timely and thorough implementation of the related assembly, and integration, verification and validation activities, as well as ensuring that the required tools and models remain compatible with the needs of the operational phases, including simulation/troubleshooting capabilities in Europe and at NASA Gateway-level facilities.

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

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

As a Young Graduate Trainee, you will be offered the opportunity to contribute actively to the development and verification of the ESA modules that will become an integral part of the Lunar Gateway station. As a member of the Verification and AIT Team, you will follow the activities related to human system integration aspects, functional verification, and associated validation and modelling topics. This may include the following tasks:

• Overseeing the creation and maintenance of a human system integration plan in consultation with primes, ESA and NASA experts;
• Monitoring the proper implementation of the requirement flow-down and its management in the DOORS (Dynamic Object-Oriented Requirements System) database;
• Supporting the documented traceability of verification and validation activities to ensure that compliance with Gateway requirements can be demonstrated;
• Supporting the definition and configuration of physical mock-ups, engineering models, tools and simulators required to satisfy I-HAB-, ERM- and Gateway-level validation and verification needs;
• Organising the I-HAB and ERM virtual reality activities in support of the development process;
• Following the preparation and execution of functional verification and validation and simulator activities and ensuring thorough reporting;
• Supporting the System Engineering and Operations teams with assessments relating to system budget monitoring, trends (e.g. mass, power, data) and opportunities, crew accessibility maintenance or routine operations, imagery and illumination inquiries;
• Presenting outcomes and lessons learned to the ESA Gateway Team.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation

Operational Efficiency

Fostering Cooperation

Relationship Management

Continuous Improvement

Forward Thinking

Education

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of your master’s degree in aerospace engineering or a similar engineering field.

Additional requirements

You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and should be able to work in a multicultural environment, both independently and as part of a team.

A background or some initial experience in human factor engineering and human machine interfaces would be beneficial.

Familiarity with the principles of space system verification, as well as knowledge of requirement management using DOORS, is considered an asset.

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.

During the interview, your motivation and overall professional career goals will also be explored.