Internal Research Fellow (PostDoc) in Advanced Requirements Engineering for Space Systems

The Software Systems Division deals with development techniques for ground and space systems. This covers all life-cycle aspects from requirements specification to development, verification, validation and maintenance. Within this division, the Software Technology Section is aiming at exploring the use of new technologies in the different areas. This covers several technologies and domain of application:

Machine Learning (ML) techniques for verification, validation and maintenance, e.g. used for the analysis of data captured during verification and validation tests (xxx), analysis of the data generated on-board to perform preventive maintenance, etc.

Planning techniques to increase the on-board autonomy, e.g. automatic rendezvous with cooperative or uncooperative targets, automatic landing on a celestial body, opportunistic science for rovers, etc.

Model-Based System/Software Engineering for a seamless development of system from early phases to design, development and verification, e.g. supporting the modelling of the systems, their refinement all along the development process, the consolidation of multiple domain models, the support of analysis, the verification of models at different stage of the development process, etc.

Interested candidates are highly encouraged to visit ESA website: www.esa.int

The Research Fellow (RF) will be assigned on consolidating research and applying a new technology in one of the following topics.

Machine Learning: Anomaly detection

On this topic, the objective of the RF project is to study the state of the arts of Machine Learning and data mining algorithms that would make possible to detect anomalies in the data recorded during the verification and validation of space systems and apply the most appropriate one to a set of representative (or real) data. The anomalies to detect include regressions with respect to previous execution of the tests and sporadic behaviours through automatic and exhaustive analysis of test results and system of systems environment data.

Planning: Autonomous operations

On this topic, the objective of the RF project is to study the state of the arts of Planning algorithms that would support on-board autonomous operations of systems an Earth Observation constellation. The autonomy concepts shall be implemented on-board all spacecraft of the constellation in order to manage high-level requests (objectives and constraints) sent from Ground. The overall planning of user requests is distributed among all spacecraft that can rely on inter-satellite communication (e.g. using DTN). The planning shall be distributed among the constellation and a consensus shall be reached for its execution.

Model-Based System/Software Engineering: Model Checking

On this topic, the objective of the RF project is to study the state of the arts of formal verification, in order to develop and integrate model-checking techniques into ESA's Model Based development framework (TASTE, check https://taste.tools) and to demonstrate them. The approach is relying on a joint use of formal modelling languages (SDL, MSC, ASN.1) and constrained programming languages such as Spark/Ada. The RF shall assess the possibility to reuse existing languages and tools (e.g. Promela/Spin, Uppaal, BIP, IF) and define a realistic engineering work plan to design, implement and put together the tools needed for the introduction model-checking into the TASTE framework.

Applicants should have recently completed, or be close to completing, a PhD in computer science, modelling methods, or systems (requirements) engineering. Preference will be given to candidates awarded their doctorate within past five years.

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.