Intern in the Space Weather Office of the Space Safety Programme

Location
ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany  

The ESA Space Safety Programme Office takes care of all potential hazards from space or in space, which can impact human activities on Earth or again in space. The spectrum of tasks ranges from gathering the basic understanding of space hazards originating from our Sun, from man-made space debris, or from asteroids potentially colliding with the Earth. It also addresses basic approaches to mitigate these hazards and to implement space systems end-to-end in a sustainable and eco-compatible way. Moreover, several corner stone missions are underway to demonstrate basic methods of space weather forecasting, asteroid deflection and active space debris removal from orbit.

In execution of these tasks, the Space Safety Office has the following entities:

• space Weather Office (OPS-SW).
• planetary Defence Office (OPS-SP).
• space Debris Office (OPS-SD).
• clean Space Office (OPS-SC).
• frequency Management Office (OPS-SF).

Space Weather Office is responsible for developing the ESA Space Weather System that allow nowcasting and forecasting space weather, i.e., the enormous eruptions in the Sun that impact the environment everywhere in our solar system. When these eruptions hit the Earth, they can cause major damage in the infrastructure on the surface, damage satellites and endanger the health of the astronauts in space. Geomagnetic storms triggered by the solar events can cause blackouts in power grids, disturb satellite navigation and communication, disturb aviation, transport, and many other functions that we are used to in our daily life. Energetic particles from the solar events can also damage space probes that we have sent to other planets in the solar system. This is why Space Weather Office is developing space weather forecasting capability for other planets like Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. Space Weather Office is also responsible for development and implementation of the satellite missions for space weather monitoring to make the space weather services to the users possible.

Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: 

You can choose between the following topics:

Topic 1: Mission performance simulations for upcoming Space Weather missions

ESA is developing an enhanced Space Weather Sensor System to provide data for forecasting and to monitor Space Weather effects. Due to the to the asymmetry and complexity of Earth's magnetosphere, the involved particle environment and its dynamics, it is necessary to capture the state of the magnetic field and the particle distribution in a sufficiently large number of sampling points around the Earth, such that it allows state-monitoring and modelling of the involved processes with sufficient accuracy and timeliness. An important aspect for the realisation of observation systems for Space Safety is the need of high reliability, sufficiently long lifetime and low data latencies as the data will be used in operational purposes.

For this, ESA is currently implementing and studying multiple dedicated Space Weather missions, from nanosatellite to small satellites, that will be flying in a wide range of orbits. Your role would be to contribute to the analysis of their mission performances, through the use of different Space Weather models, instrument data and mission analysis tools. These analyses will provide insight into the optimisation of the mission design and operations concept, and will support the Space Weather team in guiding ongoing industry developments. You will get a chance to look into the different steps of an ESA space mission, from early study to mission implementation and management of flying missions.

The ESA Space Weather Office space segment team is implementing the Aurora-D (demonstrator) mission and studying multiple other small satellite concepts with optical and in-situ payloads. To support the definition of requirements, the verification of performance, the completion of various trade-offs and the assessment of the impact of changes, the team is developing instrument performance models and various tools to support the mission development and to prepare mission end-to-end simulator developments.

Your role would be to join the team and to contribute to the development of instruments and related modelling of the observations as well as the use and further development of existing tools. The topics will span a wide range starting from physical principles related to the physical processes involved in generating the auroral emissions, through the observational constraints coming from the satellite and instruments configurations, over the instrument working schemes and employed technologies, up to the data generation and processing on-board and on ground. You would support the development of the end-to-end simulator for the Aurora-D mission also in the industrial development framework. The role involves applying physics and engineering concepts to actual instruments in the mission context while also getting to contribute to a set of software tools in a modern and agile way. In particular, the tools and analyses developed will be used throughout the Aurora-D mission lifecycle but may also support the definition of a series of other upcoming payloads and missions.

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

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

You must be a university student, preferably studying 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.

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. 

Topic 1:

good knowledge and background in engineering modeling, data science, simulation and mathematics is an asset. Previous demonstrated experience with scientific computing in Python is an asset.

Topic 2:

experience with optical instruments and underlying physical principles would be welcome. Software engineering skills and experience with the usage of Phyton would also be an asset for the work.

Good knowledge and background in physics or engineering, data science, simulation and mathematics is expected for both internship opportunities.

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 

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, 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, Cyprus and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).