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Young Graduate Trainee in Antenna Analysis and Design

Noordwijk

  • Organization: ESA - European Space Agency
  • Location: Noordwijk
  • Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Mechanics and Electronics (Engineering)
  • Closing Date: Closed

EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY

Young Graduate Trainee in Antenna Analysis and Design

Job Req ID:  17307
Closing Date:  28 February 2023 23:59 CET/CEST
Establishment:  ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands
Directorate:  Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality
Publication:  External Only
Vacancy Type:  Young Graduate Trainee
Date Posted:  1 February 2023

 

Young Graduate Opportunity in the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality

 

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, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

 

This post is classified F1 on the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale.

 

Location

ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands 

 

Our team and mission

The Section  covers space antenna systems, space vehicle TT&C antennas, user segment terminal antennas, and submillimetre wave instruments and associated technologies. More specifically, it deals with:

  • the analysis and characterisation of antenna systems, as well as the interference effects of antennas with the spacecraft structure or other platforms (such as aircraft, trains or vehicles);
  • the design, analysis and engineering of all antenna subsystems, including standalone radiators, arrays, reflector and lens optics and their associated focal plane;
  • submillimetre instrument architecture, engineering and testing activities, as well as antenna front-end technology (e.g. quasi-optic multifrequency, heterodyne receivers) and component (e.g. mixers, multipliers) developments;
  • coordination on all aspects of antenna and submillimetre wave devices;
  • RF modelling and design tool developments for all kinds of standalone antennas and antenna interactions (e.g. parasitic effect on the radiation performance, coupling among antenna ports) for spacecraft or other platforms (such as aircraft, trains and vehicles);
  • the testing of the radiative performance of antennas, payloads and instruments, both in standalone mode and in relevant environments;
  • the characterisation of the RF properties of materials.

 

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

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

Conical scanning is required for various Earth observation missions based on radar and radiometric instruments. Typically, this specific beam scanning is achieved by spinning the entire antenna system around the nadir axis. Though effective, this solution presents several problems. Specifically, vibrations can cause de-pointing, which may impact the instrument’s performance. Moreover, mass is an issue since the rotation of the full antenna system requires counterweights of similar mass.

 

An annular-focusing quasi-optical system can be used to simplify the mechanical beam steering solution. This particular configuration provides an annular focus region that matches the conical scanning requirement. Annular-focusing reflectors have been shown to provide good performance in one scanning plane [1], [2]. However, an offset configuration will limit the performance in the rest of the field of view.

 

As a Young Graduate Trainee, you will focus on the definition of annular-focusing planar lens solutions that are symmetric and will thus achieve similar performance over all the scanning planes. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently conducted a preliminary study of a similar configuration [3].

 

In particular, you will conduct research activities to:

  • define the phase profile of the lens to achieve the required annular-focusing behaviour as a function of the observation angle;
  • research and trade-off technologies for the implementation of the lens, such as planar-printed single and dual lenses, constrained lenses, etc.; 
  • define and trade-off several feeding solutions, such as fully sampled focal plane arrays, mechanically spinning feeds, reconfigurable arrays, etc.;
  • study the possibility of extending the solution to generate multiple beams allowing simultaneous observations at different angles;
  • define design guidelines for this type of antenna system for different requirements;
  • design, manufacture and test a proof-of-concept breadboard to demonstrate the potential of the technology.

 

[1] A. Garcia-Pino et al., “A bifocal Gregorian reflector system for THz imaging applications,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 60, no. 9, Sep. 2012.
[2] A. N. Plastikov, “A high-gain multibeam bifocal reflector antenna with 40˚ field of view for satellite ground station applications,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 64, no. 7, Jul. 2016.
[3] A. Papathanasopoulos, Y. Rahmat-Samii, “Transmitarray antenna for conical beam scanning,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 70, no. 11, Nov. 2022.

Technical competencies

Knowledge of relevant technical domains
Relevant experience gained during internships/project work
Breadth of exposure coming from past and/or current research/activities
Knowledge of ESA and its programmes/projects

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 electrical engineering.

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.

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. 

Other information

For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.

 

For further information on the Young Graduate Programme please visit: Young Graduate Programme and FAQ Young Graduate Programme

 

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 email contact.human.resources@esa.int.

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Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as  Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria and Cyprus as European Cooperating States (ECS).

According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*. When short-listing for an interview, priority will first be given to candidates from under-represented or balanced Member States*. 

 

In accordance with the European Space Agency’s security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment conducted by an external background screening service. 

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.

This vacancy is now closed.
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