Intern in the Mission Operations Department, XMM-Newton Mission
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Monthly Salary:
Posted on:
9 days ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Location
ESOC Darmstadt Germany
Our team and mission
The Astronomy and Fundamental Physics Missions Division is responsible for the design implementation and operations of the mission operations ground segment and the spacecraft operations for Science and selected Space Safety Programme missions in the area of operations typically from start of phase B through in-flight commissioning to routine mission operations until the end of mission.
The division comprises a variety of missions that are either in preparation like Plato and Ariel or in operations like Euclid XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL. XMM-Newton e. g. is an X-ray observatory that combines the largest mirror assembly ever flown with advanced detector technology such as CCD cameras and high-resolution grating spectrometers and an optical monitor observing cosmic objects like black holes active galaxies (galaxies that have a small core of emission embedded at the center of an otherwise typical galaxy) or super nova remnants (when dying stars explode as supernovae they usually eject a chaotic web of dust and gas).
Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website:
Field(s) of activity for the internship
Topic of the internship : Near Realtime Monitoring and trend analysis of Spacecraft and Instruments
The interns will support the XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL Flight Control Team to execute the mission operations and to assess the performance of the missions and their ground segment.
You will build up experience in the following areas:
- general insight in the know how organization and culture of satellite operations.
- systems that measure the performance of the various ground segment and spacecraft elements.
Specifically they will have the opportunity to support the transfer of an existing spacecraft monitoring system to a more modern space and ground awareness system including potentially already existing tools from the ESOC AI roadmap with standard monitoring and evaluation tools/ will also involve interaction with EGTs at ESOC and ESAC
The specific tasks will be based on your actual skills and interests. Therefore you will gain valuable knowledge and experience in the design functions and operations of a satellite control centre with emphasis on both analyzing housekeeping data to monitor spacecraft health and diagnose faults - and monitoring ground segment status and performance.
Details on the work: XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL subsystems are currently monitored live via the mission control system with so called Out of Limits which indicate if a system has a transient problem starts to fail or has failed already. A monitoring software using IDL data language extracts vital parameters from an archive called MUST and plots their behaviour or calculates derived observables to assess mission status. The output of those systems is displayed on a webserver or notifications are sent via email to users.
In the framework of a migration of the current webserver to a fully new system in 2026 the team plans to migrate the monitoring code to Python and extend it with new features of trend analysis and overall system monitoring. Here already existing AI tools from the ESA AI roadmap shall be used and/or integrated. A new monitoring system is now be developed that utilises shared Python libraries. The interns will enhance customize and refine already existing basic functionalities.
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.
Knowledge of Python or other programming languages and/or experience in data analysis and/or usage of AI tools are essential.
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.
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. Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State can apply as well as those from Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).
Required Experience:
Intern
Key Skills
- Campaigns
- Abinitio
- AutoCAD 3D
- Hardware & Networking
- Customer Support
- Arabic
About Company
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