Our team and mission

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

Under the direct authority of the Head of the Mechanical Department, the Head of the Optics, Robotics and Life Sciences Division is responsible for the technical and strategic management in the following space segment domains at subsystem and instrument level:

• Optical systems: design, engineering and verification in all optical related areas, including optical component technology, micro-optics, fibre and passive integrated optics; spectro-radiometric imaging instruments in the x-ray, ultra-violet, visible and infrared region; optical metrology, and space micro-nano technology systems, stray-light analysis and verification. Calibration and verification of optical payloads, covering the definition, procurement and commissioning of Optical Ground Support Equipment (OGSE). In orbit commissioning of optical payloads. Measurement of optical properties of key optical components by devising ad-hoc measurements in the Optical and Optoelectronics Laboratory (OOEL);
• Optoelectronics: laser systems and sensors, LIDAR and laser ranging systems, including optical metrology and time and frequency distribution, photo-detectors and focal plane technologies for the x-ray, ultra-violet, visible and infrared range; photonics technologies and application, including integrated and fibre optics, RF photonics, micro-nano-photonics, opto-pyrotechnics, fibre sensors, non-linear optics, superconductor technology and optical atomic clocks; optical communication technologies and systems, optical communication links and optical payloads; optoelectronics/photonics for spacecraft applications; quantum technologies including quantum devices, metrology, sensing, quantum key distribution and cold atom interferometry; 
• Optical chain architecture: design, analysis, and technical assessment of optical instruments, subsystems, detection chains systems and focal plane instrumentation, optical communication systems for classical and quantum communications, time and frequency transfer, intersatellite ranging and similar end-to-end systems;
• Automation and robotics: space automation and robotic systems, including planetary (surface, sub-surface and aerial) robotics probes, space robot payloads and their control systems, space laboratory automation, human-robot-interaction, tele-robotics in manned and unmanned missions, as well as automation and robotics technology for ground MAIT;
• Life & physical sciences instrumentation: technologies needed for planetary exploration missions and for life and physical sciences experiments in space, as well as technologies needed for life support, crew health and habitability of manned missions, and In-Situ Resources Utilisation;

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:

1) Topic 1: Regenerative Life Support Systems for Future Exploration Missions

The Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) project is the leading European initiative on circular and regenerative life support systems. The project aims to generate knowledge and technology to reach the highest degree of autonomy in space, i.e. the reliable and efficient production of oxygen, water, food, nitrogen, and materials during deep space exploration missions, where otherwise terrestrial resupplies would not be feasible nor safe for the crew. MELiSSA is a pioneering effort and has contributed significantly to our understanding of how transformation processes can be integrated into circular systems.

Within the MELiSSA project, you are expected to:

• Learn and contribute to R&D activities in the field of life support systems evaluation (i.e. Advanced Life Support System Evaluation methodology) including life support systems sizing and trade-off analyses;
• Assess the impact of integrating plastic waste degradation in the MELiSSA loop (i.e., technology and degrading micro-organism state-of-the-art, ALiSSE trade-off and evaluation);
• Identify the MELiSSA loop outputs susceptible to be used for additive manufacturing applications (may include some lab work for biomaterials properties characterization) or for valorization in other space applications.

You will be immersed in the MELiSSA team and more generally in the ESA environment, which include space mission preparation and experimentations. You are expected to interface with other teams at ESA (e.g. Materials and Processes section) as well as with the partners of the MELiSSA consortium.

https://www.melissafoundation.org/

2) Topic 2: Oxygen production using molten Salt Electrolysis

Currently experiments on oxygen production using molten salt electrolysis are being performed in the ESTEC laboratories. 
These experiments will reduce the samples to extract the oxygen and turn the samples into metallic powders, potentially suitable for additive manufacturing. Although these electrochemical experiments can use powder material, a sintered block is preferred. The whole process poses many challenges in terms of material and electrolyte stability, process efficiency and yield, sintering process parameters and optimisation.

In this internship, you are expected to:

• Learn about the lunar materials and environment;
• Learn about the lunar soil simulants and variations to actual lunar soil;
• Learn about existing processes in the field of In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU);
• Develop a comprehensive procedure to sinter lunar soil and lunar soil simulant;
• Characterise lunar soil simulant before & after sintering by SEM/EDX, XRD, XRF, X-Ray Tomography;
• Support the electrochemical experiments extracting the oxygen from the sintered lunar soil simulants.

 
You will also be immersed in the ESA environment which includes space mission preparation and experimentations.

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.

The topics require educational knowledge such as:
Topic 1: Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering
Topic 2: Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering