ESA Graduate Trainee in Dynamics of Extreme Space Systems Engineering

This graduate traineeship takes place within ESA's Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) in the Technology Department.

Our team and mission

The Technology Department is responsible for the technology strategy, the research and technology development programmes, the education programme and the directorates communication activities.

In particular, this includes, together with all relevant directorates:

• developing and implementing ESA’s technology strategy;
• organising studies, research and developments to provide an integrated, continuous technology development path from TRL1 to TRL9 according to strategic and programmatic needs, available competences and resources;
• coordinating and harmonising technology developments with ESA’s application and programme specific technology development programmes, European and national technology development programmes;
• developing and implementing a resource and competence plan for conducting R&D activities, together with the Management Support Office and the other departments;
• preparing future missions and their technologies through early phase studies, system analyses, feasibility assessments, and establishing mission baselines for DG, Directorate, and Member State decisions;
• developing together with the TEC business partners, Senior Technical Authorities and System engineers effective R&D processes addressing user and programme needs;
• liaising with D/CIC on commercialisation and competitiveness aspects of R&D activities, and ensure the alignment of ESA's technology strategy with the strategies in these domains;
• liaising with D/OPS on ground system R&D activities;
• integrating relevant Education activities into the R&D management processes;
• communicating the value of ESA’s technical competence, infrastructure and facilities;
• coordinating in close cooperation with corporate communication at ESA, TEC communication activities;
• managing TEC internal communication activities.

This EGT will take place within ESA's Advanced Concepts Team (ACT). ESA’s Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) monitors, performs, and promotes cutting-edge multidisciplinary research for space. It explores innovative approaches to space-related R&D, including competitions, prizes, and games, as well as research aimed at fostering disruptive innovation. The team develops an expert network within academia and provides rapid first-look analyses of challenges, opportunities, and problems.

The ACT collaborates with universities and research centers, focusing on advanced topics of strategic relevance to the space sector while experimenting with novel teamwork methods. To achieve its objectives, the ACT fosters a dynamic, multidisciplinary research environment where early-career researchers—spanning postdoctoral and postgraduate levels in science and engineering—contribute to the development of emerging technologies and innovative concepts.

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

Your primary work will focus on the dynamics and control of extreme space systems. This encompasses a wide range of applications, from nano-satellites operating in swarms to the on-orbit self-assembly of mega-structures. Such advanced systems need new and creative mission planning approaches, as well as autonomous control systems that can accommodate the complex dynamics found beyond low earth orbit (LEO).

While you are encouraged to propose your own original projects within this domain, the following areas have been identified as potential techniques for innovative research:

• uncertainty propagation and non-Gaussian collision probability estimation;
• identifying families of periodic orbits;
• stability and robustness analysis of resulting trajectories;
• use of Event Transition Tensors to study complex event manifolds.

Such techniques can be applied to a variety of interesting environments with complex dynamics, such as:

• cis-lunar orbits, where the third-body perturbations and the non-spherical gravity field necessitate new algorithms beyond those developed for two-body dynamics;
• proximity operations around Asteroids, where low gravity makes escape and collision a real danger to mission success;
• black holes, and neutron stars whose strong gravitational fields require a relativistic treatment of the dynamics;
• solar sailing in binary star systems.

As a member of the Advanced Concepts Team (ACT), you will contribute to the development and evaluation of new space technologies and concepts. You will collaborate with experts from diverse fields, including artificial intelligence, computer science, fundamental physics, and mission analysis.

Depending on your background and interests, your work may include various initiatives, such as competitions organized via the ESA’s ACT optimize platform and/or studies conducted under ESA’s Ariadna scheme, and you will help disseminate research findings within ESA and to external audiences.

Finally, you will monitor—and if feasible, contribute to—ESA's Discovery and Preparation campaigns by refining early study definitions and possibly participating in select activities.

Recent publications (examples of possible outcomes)

The following recent publications are an example of possible outcomes of research in this field:

• [1] Verhelst, T., Acciarini, G., Izzo, D., & Biscani, F. (2025). Probability of collision in nonlinear dynamics by moment propagation. In 9th European Conference on Space Debris.
• [2] Acciarini, G., Baresi, N., Lloyd, D. J., & Izzo, D. (2025). Nonlinear propagation of non-gaussian uncertainties. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 48 (4), 903-913.
• [3] Levin, J., & Perez-Giz, G. (2008). A periodic table for black hole orbits. Physical Review D—Particles, Fields, Gravitation, and Cosmology, 77(10), 103005.
• [4] Izzo, Dario, et al. High-order expansion of Neural Ordinary Differential Equations flows. arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.08769 (2025). (Accepted: Science Advances)

Technical competencies

• Knowledge of relevant technical/functional domains
• Relevant experience gained during internships, project work and/or extracurricular or other activities
• General knowledge of the space sector and relevant activities
• Knowledge of ESA and its programmes/projects

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

You should have recently completed or be in the final year of your master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics.

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.

You should also have:

• understanding of dynamical systems / chaotic dynamics;
• previous experience with extreme dynamical regimes.

Important Information and Disclaimer

Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations & eligible to acquire the security clearance by their national security administrations.

Nationality and Languages

Please note that applications can only be considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia as Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).

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.

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.