Intern in the Disruption Tolerant Networking

Contribute to space communication protocol development and validation.

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ESA - European Space Agency

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Saturday 30 Nov 2024 at 23:59 UTC

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Overview

Contribute to space communication protocol development and validation.

You have:

  • Must be a university student in your final or second-to-last year of a Master's course and remain enrolled during the internship.
  • Good knowledge of English or French is required; knowledge of another Member State language is an asset.
  • Experience with software development in Java is required.
  • Experience with software development in C++ is required.
  • Knowledge and background in terrestrial networking (IP, TCP, UDP) would be an asset.
  • Knowledge of space communication protocols is an asset.

Contract

This is a Internship contract. It usually requires 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about Internship contracts.

Internship Opportunity in the Directorate of Operations.

Location

Darmstadt Our team and mission

This position is based at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) - Darmstadt, Germany

Our team is developing ground segment software related to space communication protocols and ESA’s network of ground stations. We are very active in research and development and contribute to global standardisation activities related to space communication. We collaborate with other space agencies, European Industry and Academia and support world-wide initiatives to advance towards a Solar System Internet.

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Solar System Internet – Development and Demonstration

Space communication is often characterised by long round-trip delays and less reliable communication links. Communication links are typically planned in advance and are only available for limited time. Data rates on the individual links may vary between a few Kbit/s to Gbit/s and no full end-to-end paths between two communicating entities may ever exist. To overcome these challenges, Delay or Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) communication architectures have been proposed and related communication protocols have been standardised for the space domain (Bundle Protocol, Licklider Transmission Protocol). These protocols are being implemented by ESA, simulated, and validated for various scenarios, including Earth Observation and Lunar or Mars exploration scenarios.

During the internship, you will contribute to the following tasks:

  • Test and validation of protocol implementations and prototypes;
  • Deployment and validation of prototypic operational systems on ground to prepare DTN communication experiments and demonstrations;
  • Support the execution of DTN experiments and demonstrations with external partners (space agencies, commercial entities, academia);
  • Depending on the applicants’ interest, further work could be performed in areas currently under active development and standardisation, such as reliable communication protocols, IP-BP Internetworking, or mission operations for DTN-enabled spacecraft

Through this internship, you will gain substantial experience in ground segment software development at ESA, obtain a comprehensive understanding of space communication systems, and engage with advanced technologies for upcoming networked space communications aimed at establishing a Solar System Internet.

Behavioural competencies

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

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

Education

You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of a university course at Master’s level and you need to remain enrolled at your University for the entire duration of the internship.

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.

Experience with software development in Java or C++ on Linux is required. Knowledge and background in terrestrial networking (IP, TCP, UDP) or space communication protocols is an asset.

Other information

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.

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 [email protected].

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

Potential interview questions

Describe a situation where you had to work collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal. This question assesses your teamwork skills and ability to cooperate with colleagues or partners. Highlight your role, the challenges faced, and the outcome of the collaboration.
Can you provide an example of how you have managed your time effectively during a demanding project? This question evaluates your time management skills and ability to prioritize tasks. Pro members can see the explanation.
Give an example of a technical problem you faced and how you solved it. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in software development? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe a time when you demonstrated initiative in a project or task. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.esa.int