Intern in the Mechanical Department - Life Support and Physical Sciences Instrumentation Section

• Type of appointment: Intern.
• Workplace: Noordwijk, NL.
• Location: ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands.

Intern in the Mechanical Department - Life Support and Physical Sciences Instrumentation Section

Our team and mission

The Life Support and Physical Sciences Instrumentation Section is part of the Optics, Robotics and Life Sciences Division. Our team works in the area of life support technologies for Human spaceflight, In Situ Resource Utilisation, planetary protection and small payload development for planetary missions, like the Moon and Mars. We do technology development for future missions and support flight projects under implementation as well. In this context we work on In Situ Resource Utilisation processes, with a focus on molten salt electrolysis.

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Currently, experiments on oxygen production using molten salt electrolysis are being performed in the ESTEC laboratories. These experiments will reduce the samples to extract the oxygen and turn the samples into metallic powders, potentially suitable for additive manufacturing. Although these electrochemical experiments can use powder material, a sintered block is preferred. The whole process poses many challenges in terms of material and electrolyte stability, process efficiency and yield, sintering process parameters and optimisation.

In this internship, you are expected to:

• learn about the lunar materials and environment;
• learn about the lunar soil simulants and variations to actual lunar soil;
• learn about existing processes in the field of In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU);
• develop a comprehensive procedure to sinter lunar soil and lunar soil simulant;
• characterise lunar soil simulant before and after sintering by SEM/EDX, XRD, XRF, X-Ray Tomography;
• support the electrochemical experiments extracting the oxygen from the sintered lunar soil simulants.

You will also be immersed in the ESA environment which includes space mission preparation and experimentation.

Behavioural competencies

• Result Orientation
• Operational Efficiency
• Fostering Cooperation
• Relationship Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Forward Thinking

Education

You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of university course at Master's level. In 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.

Knowledge of Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.
Experience with molten salt electrolysis and high-temperature materials is an asset.

Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.

Nationality

Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, 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.