Our team and mission

The ESA Graduate Trainee (EGT) in Attitude and Orbit Control Systems [AOCS) will be a member of the GNC, AOCS and Pointing Division (TEC-EC) in the Electrical Department of ESA.

With more than 40 engineers and researchers, the Division is happy to welcome YEGT to contribute to its duties:

PROJECT SUPPORT in the field of GNC (Guidance, Navigation and Control), AOCS (Attitude and Orbit Control Systems) and Pointing engineering:

• Conceptual design studies for future missions GNC/AOCS, in particular in Concurrent Design Facilities (CDF) studies
• GNC/AOCS design, system analysis and modelling for future and current missions from ESA Directorates, for example Exploration, Space Transportation, Earth Observation, Science, Telecommunication and Navigation as well as In-Orbit Demonstration missions

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

• Definition of technology development requirements for space missions and ESA technology programmes covering both long and short-term needs;
• Mission enabling R/D activities for AOCS and Pointing Systems (competitive Building Blocks, high accuracy pointing, autonomy, nanosat ADCS, …);
• Mission enabling R/D activities for GNC (interplanetary cruise, aero assistance, precision landing, ascent, rendezvous and docking, re-entry, formation flying and drag free systems, …);
• Technology development of AOCS sensors and actuators (star trackers, sun and Earth sensors, gyroscopes, accelerometers and Inertial Measurement Units, magnetometers, magnetic torquers, …);
• Fostering the utilisation of advanced control, estimation, validation, verification and optimisation techniques.

LABORATORY WORK

• Evaluation and prototyping of GNC/AOCS sensors and actuators
• Evaluation and prototyping of new GNC techniques (GNC Rendezvous, Approach and Landing, Optical Navigation)
• Evaluation and prototyping of new AOCS, pointing systems and associated subsystem hardware [Mostly for smallsat and nanosat AOCS and high-performance pointing]

You are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int and websites of the main conferences (co-)organised by the GNC, AOCS & Pointing Division: ESA GNC Conference, ICATT and ADCSS.

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

You will contribute to implement and upgrade the AOCS simulation, analysis, design, and verification facilities and to perform laboratory activities in the field of the AOCS and Pointing, amongst the following ones:

• AOCS definition and validation
• De-orbiting control strategy and AOCS mode definition for Low Earth Orbit satellite
• AOCS Verification and Validation using Model Based engineering resources and process, with focus on automated code generation
• Development and assessment of autonomy functions for future AOCS systems
• Performance and robustness characterisation of new AOCS sensors
• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experiments for rapid AOCS prototyping and verification, for example in the AOCS flatsat (avionics bench level for AOCS verification) or the AOCS air-bearing facility for nanosat ADCS test, both at ESTEC
• Contribution to the AOCS simulator modelling library

You will perform the following tasks:

1. From mission or system-level requirements, develop an understanding of the implications on the derived requirements and architectures at AOCS system level
2. Develop or enhance the existing AOCS simulation environments, implementing mission specific models of dynamics, kinematics and environment as well as AOCS sensor and actuator suites
3. Contribute to the AOCS analysis and design of on-board algorithms, AOCS units trade-offs (as part of Concurrent Design Facility studies), and AOCS tools development (for AOCS sizing, performance analysis, controller & estimation tuning)
4. Implement the AOCS algorithms on a target processor via auto-coding in order to assess real-time performance and computational loads
5. Perform integration and verification in a Processor-in-the-loop (PIL) testing facility, using the test facilities of the Division
6. Setup Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experiments for rapid prototyping and verification. In this task, the trainee shall integrate the available hardware models of AOCS units and/or embed the AOCS algorithms, and all needed interfaces into the adequate Laboratory Facility, for example for example in the AOCS flatsat (avionics bench level for AOCS verification) or the AOCS air-bearing facility for nanosat ADCS test, typically in support of an ESA mission under development
7. Perform end-to-end verification, validation, and closed-loop testing of AOCS systems on the Division facilities and develop data analysis tools for the characterisation and testing of hardware units
8. Document the performed activities in dedicated technical reports and communicate results

This ESA Graduate Traineeship will provide the selected candidate with a solid AOCS experience, technical skills and hands-on know-how.

Technical competencies

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 should have just completed, or be in the final year of your master’ s degree in control, aerospace or electrical engineering.

Additional requirements

You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and should be able to work in a multicultural environment, both independently and as part of a team. Previous experience of working in international teams can be considered an asset. Your motivation, overall professional perspective and career goals will also be explored during the later stages of the selection process.

In complement of Education degree, a specific competence and experience in the following disciplines or tools would be required:

• Mathematical modelling and simulation
• Control theory
• Data fusion and estimation
• Matlab/Simulink and Python
• Hands-on activities in AOCS Laboratory facilities