Intern in the Space Safety Programme, Clean Space Office

Internship

Overview

Support the Space Safety Programme activities focusing on Clean Space initiatives.

You have:

• You must be a university student, preferably studying at master’s level.
• A good knowledge of English or French is required. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.
• Having a keen interest in Clean Space activities is beneficial.
• Having a collaborative team spirit is highly valued.

Contract

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

Location ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands or ESOC Darmstadt, Germany or ESA Headquarters, Paris, France

Our team and mission

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).
• The Space Safety Programme Coordination Office (OPS-SX).

The Space Safety Programme Coordination Office is responsible for leading strategic and coordination activities relating to the ESA Space Safety Programme, in close cooperation with the Programme division and offices, including but not restricted to programme strategy, identification of future activities, managing the programme board, overseeing international and European relations, managing industry relations, managing the programme’s communication activities, etc.

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

You can choose between the following topics:

Topic 1: Clean Space coordination (ESA HQ Nikis)

You will have the opportunity to support the team in preparing, developing, implementing and maintaining the overall programmatic aspects of the projects. You will also be involved in the ESA Clean Space communication strategy, support the online presence of the initiative and help with the outreach activities.

Topic 2: Ecodesign for space (ESOC or ESTEC)

It is essential to understand the environmental impact of space missions to be able to tackle the problem. ESA has been pioneering this field and became a world-wide leader in ecodesign for space. The Agency has published the first dedicated Life-Cycle Assessment Handbook and a specific database.

You will have the opportunity to support the team to wrap-up past studies and support on-going studies to define the way forward.

Topic 3: Zero Debris approach and End-of-Life Management (ESTEC)

The traffic in valuable Earth orbits is and will continue to increase exponentially. Despite internationally recognised space debris mitigation guidelines, technical standards, and national space regulations, the disposal of space systems from protected regions and the prevention of in-orbit break-ups still have a low success rate. This calls for the need to improve End-of-Life management of missions flying in Earth orbits of high interest. SA aims to act as a role model driving space sustainability forward, through the deployment of the Zero Debris approach.

You will be supporting the team working on further developing the Zero Debris approach and improving the End-of-Life Management of missions.

Topic 4: Active Debris Removal and In-Orbit Servicing (ESTEC)

Globally significant progress has been made in both the technical and commercial validation of in-orbit servicing activities such as debris removal, AOCS takeover for life extension, asset relocation, refuelling and in-orbit inspection. Looking forward, ESA aims to contribute to the creation of the demand for In-Orbit Servicing (IOS) in Europe by fostering both the service-offering side and to stimulate and enable the demand side of the developing IOS market. You will be supporting the team working on enabling the In-Orbit Servicing activities at ESA.

Topic 5: RISE (ESTEC)

The RISE mission, is an in-orbit servicing mission requiring state of the art technologies for rendezvous and capture in GEO which is set for launch in 2028. You will be supporting the team working on implementing the RISE mission at ESA.

Topic 6: Clearspace-1 (ESTEC)

The ClearSpace-1 mission is the first-ever Active Debris Removal mission in LEO, demonstrating various technologies for rendezvous, capture and removal of an outdated space object in 2028. You will support the project management and system engineering team in implementing the mission at ESA.

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 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.

Additional requirements

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.

Having a keen interest in Clean Space activities is beneficial and having a collaborative team spirit is highly valued.

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 [email protected].

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).

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Potential interview questions

Added 7 months ago - Updated 6 months ago - Source: jobs.esa.int