Intern in the Ground Systems Engineering and Innovation Department, Flight Dynamics Division
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Job Location:
Monthly Salary:
Posted on:
10 days ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Location
ESOC Darmstadt Germany
Our team and mission
The position is opened in the Earth Observation support section within the Flight Dynamics Division which provides Flight Dynamics Engineering and Operations support to the Earth Observation fleet operated by ESOC including ESAs Earth Explorer program and EUs Copernicus program.
The Flight Dynamics support consists of study development test operations evaluation and maintenance activities addressing infrastructure and project-specific issues. This is provided by a multi-mission team involved from early phases of the missions such as early studies to the last moment like re-entry operations.
Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website:
Field(s) of activity for the internship
Internship topic: Characterization of air drag modelling errors and orbit prediction accuracy
The spacecraft fleet operated at ESOC includes satellites from the Earth Explorers family and the Copernicus programme. Among its responsibilities the Flight Dynamics Earth Observation Team performs the operational orbit determination for these missions. This process involves estimating the satellites state vector along with a set of parameters associated with dynamic models used in the propagation. Most of our Earth Observation missions operate at orbital altitudes where atmospheric drag is an important perturbation. This force is a function among other factors of the atmospheric density a reference area and the aerodynamic drag coefficient; the latter is estimated in the orbit determination process to fit the aerodynamic force during the analysed time interval. This estimation however has the tendency to absorb errors associated with the air drag models.
Years of flight dynamics operations have yielded valuable historical data on the estimated air drag force. This data comes from satellites operated at different altitudes and orientations of the orbital plane and it reveals patterns which could help improve our current air drag models. Since the air drag force is the largest source of error the ultimate benefit of this characterisation is an improvement of our orbit propagation accuracy as well as the mission end of life predictions.
The project proposed for this intership involves studying our current air drag model in combination with the historic estimated data to better understand its deficiencies propose corrections and improve the orbit prediction accuracy. The program of activities proposed for the project can be broken down as follows:
- familiarization with the OPS-GFE infrastructure including GODOT and GENEOS.
- familiarization with the orbit determination process.
- elaborate an atmospheric density map as a function of different parameters (position season space weather).
- compare the air drag computed from our models versus the historic data and identify potential enhancements to our models.
- study the orbit prediction accuracy for a full range of orbit altitudes orbital plane orientations ballistic coefficients and space weather conditions.
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 studying at masters addition you must be able to prove that you will be 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 ESA Member State language is an asset.
During the interview your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.
Diversity Equity and Inclusiveness
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 religious beliefs age disability or other characteristics.
At the Agency we value diversity and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further please contact us via email at.
Important Information and Disclaimer
During the recruitment process the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.
Applicants must be eligible to access information technology and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.
The information published on ESAs careers website regarding internship conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.
Nationality
Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria Belgium Czechia Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg the Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Required Experience:
Intern
Key Skills
- Campaigns
- Abinitio
- AutoCAD 3D
- Hardware & Networking
- Customer Support
- Arabic
About Company
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