Our team and mission

This position is based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) - Noordwijk, Netherlands

The Galileo Ground Segment is managed by the Galileo Ground Segment Management Office (NAV-PT), which falls under the Galileo and EGNOS Programme Department. The team responsible for the Ground Segment focuses on managing infrastructure and services related to various components of the Galileo system, including the Mission Segment, Ground Control Segment, and Security Monitoring. The office ensures the system's design, validation, and operational capabilities meet the required technical and security standards, and closely collaborates with other segments such as the Space Segment Management Office and support offices like the Navigation Product Assurance and Safety Office.

The team works in coordination to manage the deployment, risk management, and cost control of the Ground Segment, focusing on continuous improvement and addressing any anomalies during operations. The mission includes overseeing the design, deployment, and maintenance of the infrastructure essential for the Galileo Ground Segment, ensuring compliance with security standards and programmatic requirements.
 

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Exploring AI Opportunities for Optimization and Innovation in the Galileo Ground Segment

Integrated in the team that procures and engineers the next generation of the Galileo Ground Segment, you will explore opportunities for the application of Artificial Intelligence techniques in our Ground Segment.
The Galileo Ground Segment is a complex system which is operated for more than a decade. This legacy, combined to our team’s ambitious plans for the next generation of the Ground Segment provides room for optimization and innovation, where Artificial Intelligence could play a major role.

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• Analysing the Ground Segment technical design and the processes that are applied to run the project;
• Proposing a list of use-cases for applying Artificial Intelligence (including but not limited to generative AI);
• In close collaboration with the rest of the team, evaluating the use-cases and selecting the most promising ones;
• Implementing and demonstrating selected use-case(s).

This internship is a great opportunity for you to be involved in the hearth of one of the largest and more complex mission developed by ESA. You will learn a lot about our ground segment design and you will study the processes that are needed to run a project at scale. Finally, you will improve your knowledge on Artificial Intelligence, not only from the theory, but also on the challenges to apply it to an operational system.

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.

Knowledge and background in artificial intelligence and/or computer science techniques is an asset.