Young Graduate Trainee for Exploration and Instrumentation

The Mechatronics and Optics Division is ESA’s centre of competence in areas related to optics, optoelectronics, robotics and instrumentation development for microgravity experiments and exploration, ECLS design, engineering, verification and in situ resource utilisation. It provides support to projects, preparatory and technology programmes. Within this framework, the Life Support & Physical Sciences Instrumentation Section is in charge of development of advanced life support systems and support to operational activities in human spaceflight.

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

Within our team, you will be involved in the group of Life Support Systems engineers and will contribute to the MELiSSA (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) project (http://melissafoundation.org/), both at scientific and engineering level. The project aims at developing a closed ecosystem, mimicking the Earth, for future long-duration space missions. Its scientific concept is based on an aquatic ecosystem, which performs organic matter degradation and consequently provides nutrients to oxygen and food-producing organisms (cyanobacteria and higher plants).

You will be investigating the food-producing compartment, more specifically higher plant production in a hydroponic system. Previous work performed on this compartment focused on development of a mathematical model (first principle) of plant growth. Such a model is structured in several modules addressing specific plant processes (photosynthesis, transpiration). The process of interest for the proposed traineeship is transpiration, which needs to be investigated further – in particular, its dependence on/correlation with atmospheric water content (i.e. relative humidity) and salinity of the plant culture medium. In this framework, you will be in charge of the experimental and eventual computer simulation work related to higher plant transpiration process study (water transport in/within/out the plant, water mass balance at plant growth chamber level, water salinity analysis).

Your tasks will include:

• Studying the literature, including MELiSSA project data (technical notes, designs)
• Defining a scientific investigations plan, as well as computer simulations plan (e.g. for mass balances, energy balance, stoichiometry, kinetics)
• Studying and preparing a test set-up, including analytical tools whenever relevant, to perform the investigations with a simple higher plant specimen (infrastructure for higher plant culture in hydroponics is available) as well as the experimental procedures; performing the investigations and computer simulation
• Concluding on other future work you may assess as needed.
• Participating in the general life of the project (meetings, communication items, events organisation)

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of a university course at Master's level (or equivalent) in a relevant technical or scientific discipline.

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.　

You should demonstrate good interpersonal skills and the capacity to work both independently and as part of a team. 　

During the interview your motivation and overall professional perspective/career goals will also be explored.