Internship Opportunity in the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.
ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.
Location Noordwijk
Our team and mission
This position is based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) - Noordwijk, Netherlands
ESA operates a Test Centre at ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, a unique place in Europe which is geared to perform environmental tests on large spacecraft and aerospace structures. The Test Centre includes the complete portfolio of test facilities to simulate the environmental conditions which are experienced by a spacecraft during its launch and early operation phase.
This includes hydraulic and electrodynamic vibration test systems, shock test facilities, mass properties measurement facilities, electro-magnetic compatibility test facilities. Besides Europeโs largest space simulation chamber LSS and Europeโs largest reverberant acoustic noise test chamber, the Test Centre is equipped with a 6 degree of freedom hydraulic vibration test stand, a 320kN horizontal and a 640kN vertical electrodynamic shaker system and a large EMC test chamber. The set of facilities is complemented by a medium sized thermal vacuum chamber (Phenix), a small vacuum chamber with high solar flux simulation (VTC 1.5), a 80kN vibrations system and shock test benches for subsystem and equipment testing.
For more information please refer to: ESTEC Test Center Virtual Tour
For further information visit our web site: http://www.esa.int
Field(s) of activity for the internship
Topic: Study the performance and the limitation of using a laser radar for ESTEC Large Space simulator mirror alignment
The Large Space Facility (LSS) is used to submit Space Hardware to the same condition than in space: vacuum, extreme temperatures and sun illumination. An essential component of the sun illumination system is a 7-m mirror which is directing a large perfectly homogeneous sun beam of 6 m diameter towards the test specimen. The mirror is made of 121 segments that needs to be perfectly positioned and aligned. The alignment is currently done using theodolite and laser trackers and is taking 3 weeks.
The proposed activity is to get familiar with the operation of a laser radar (performance, limitation), study the existing LSS mirror alignment method, and then to develop a new mirror alignment method using the laser radar.
Behavioural competencies
Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking
Education
You must have student status and be enrolled at university for the entire duration of the internship. You should preferably be in your final or second to last year of a university course at masterโs level in a technical or scientific discipline.
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.
Additional Requirements:
- Education/background in Metrology, Geodesy or optical Engineering
- Hands-on experience in a laboratory
Other information
For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.
If you require support with your application due to a disability, please email contact.human.resources@esa.int.
Internships can take place remotely, on-site or partially on-site depending on the pandemic situation, and in line with the relevant Establishmentโs policy (e.g. possible Green Pass requirement) applicable at the time of starting the internship.
Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus as European Cooperating States (ECS).