Young Graduate Trainee for CubeSat Training, Systems Engineering and Testing

The ESA Academy, part of the ESA Education Office, is the Agency’s overarching programme for university students from ESA Member States, Canada and Slovenia. Through a tailored transfer of space know-how and interaction with space professionals, it takes students through a learning path that supplements their academic education.

The Academy operates two interconnected pillars of activity: Hands-on Space projects, which enable students to gain first-hand experience of end-to-end development of space-related projects (small satellites, experiments on a variety of platforms reproducing different levels of gravity or weightlessness conditions, experiments to be flown on sounding rockets or to be operated onboard the International Space Station); and a Training & Learning Programme, which offers a portfolio of space-specific training sessions.

The Office works in close cooperation with specialists from ESA, industry, university departments and other research organisations. ESA’s ESEC-Galaxia site in Belgium hosts several facilities tailored for the ESA Academy programme. These include  the CubeSat Support Facility, a cleanroom laboratory hosting integration and test equipment for CubeSats; and the Training & Learning Facility, a state-of-the art training room also equipped to support concurrent design training workshops.

Information on the activities of the ESA Education Office can be found at  http://www.esa.int/Education and candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int

As a YGT you will be involved in the Education Office activities related to student satellite projects and training activities.

Educational satellite projects provide opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in the design, development, build, testing and operation of a complete satellite. The satellite projects in which the Office is currently involved are the European Student Earth Orbiter (ESEO) and ‘Fly Your Satellite!’ (FYS) for CubeSats built by student teams.

CubeSat-related training activities are organised as part of the ESA Academy’s Training & Learning Programme and include a CubeSats Concurrent Engineering Workshop, a CubeSats Hands-on Training Week using satellite hardware models and other ‘Fly Your Satellite!’-related workshops.

Under the supervision of the ESA Project Manager, you will:

• participate in CubeSat systems engineering activities including requirements management, system modelling and analysis, budgets maintenance and review of project technical documentation;
• contribute to preparation and execution of environmental test campaigns at the CubeSat Support Facility and to overall operations in the laboratory;
• contribute to preparation of ESA management and technical documentation for project reviews and for ESA internal and outreach purposes;
• support coordination of all project activities, which may include project reviews, verification/test campaigns, launch campaign preparation, launch and mission operations;
• support preparation and implementation of CubeSat-related workshops and training activities;
• support development and/or operation of a CubeSat Ground Station and Mission Control Centre;
• interface with the student CubeSat teams and with ESA technical and quality experts;
• collaborate on integrating ESA educational satellite programmes and training events within the more general framework of the ESA Academy activities.

 
You may also contribute to other the Education Office’s other student activities and projects, as required.

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of a university course at Master’s level (or equivalent) in engineering preferably with a strong background in space technology.

Solid general understanding of satellite systems engineering aspects is an asset.

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.