Our team and mission

This position is based at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) – Near Cologne, Germany

The CAVES and PANGAEA team specialises in training programmes that equip astronauts and mission developers with scientific, expeditionary and behavioural skills. The group’s primary output is focused around two training programmes, CAVES, a course that uses natural cave systems for expeditionary and human behavioural and performance training, and PANGAEA, a course for geological and astrobiological field training. Complementary to their training goals, these programmes are used as research and development platforms to advance several of ESA’s technological, scientific and operational areas.

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Electronic Fieldbook (EFB) system development

The EFB is a tool supporting astronaut mission operations with technology for geolocation, cave mapping, scientific data gathering, sensors interaction and wireless data relay to mission control centres. You are sought to support the software or hardware development of this exploration tool to improve, extend and test its functionalities.

For detailed information on this internship position, please click here: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/EAC/Space_training_team_Electronic_Field_Book_development

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 in your final or second-to-last year of a university course at Master’s level and you need to remain 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 Member State language would be an asset.

Depending on the chosen branch and profile (either software or hardware):

• Software development: academic or professional experience with at least three of the programming languages, frameworks or engines currently used in the project: JavaScript, AngularJS, Java, CouchDB, HTML, Ionic, Cordova, NodeJS. Experience on one or more of the following paradigms would be considered a plus: C++, C#, Qt, Python, REST, TensorFlow, Docker, user interface design. Previous experience in GIS systems would be a plus;
• Hardware, telecommunications, and prototyping: academic or professional experience in UNIX embedded boards or generic electronics (e.g. RaspberryPi, ESP32, Arduino), as well as having basics of OpenWRT, Wi-Fi and of routing and networking. Experience in hardware assembling and CAD 3D design-printing and prototyping. Familiarity with standards for ergonomics in terrestrial applications, and in ECSS for space utilisation would be considered a plus.