ESA Graduate Trainee in High Performance Computing for Software Defined Satellites

Our team and mission

The Avionics and EEE Division plays a pivotal role in ensuring the reliability and advancement of spacecraft avionics and component technologies. Its mission spans design assurance, qualification, and testing of EEE components, as well as radiation hardness assurance for space systems in its domain of responsibility. The division operates specialised laboratories and provides expertise to ESA projects, industry, and research partners. It actively disseminates knowledge through internal and external training, conference participation, and tutoring of PhD students, ESA Graduate Trainees (EGTs), and National Trainees, fostering innovation and professional growth.

Components

The Section is responsible for ensuring that all EEEE Components (passive & active) flown on ESA missions are suitable for their application and the environment for which they are intended, lead the development of EEEE Components and their qualification, and actively support European Space Component Coordination (ESCC) and European Cooperation for Space Standardisation (ECSS) standardisation activities. The section conducts Research and Development (R&D) activities in its domain of responsibility.

Radiation & Component Reliability

The Section is responsible for assessing all aspects of EEEE Component Radiation Effects to ensure EEEE Components flown on ESA Missions are suitable for the Radiation Environment and their assigned application for the duration of the mission. It is also responsible for all EEEE Component laboratory Test and Analysis activities, conducts R&D activities in its domain of responsibility, manages the EEEE Component Laboratory Facility, and actively supports ESCC/ECSS standardisation activities.

Microelectronics

The section is responsible for development and verification of all Microelectronic devices flown on ESA missions such as AI Accelerators, FPGAs, ASICs, Microprocessors, microelectronic processes, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), radiation-aware design, prototyping and test for space-grade microelectronics. The section conducts R&D activities in its domain of responsibility, manages the Microelectronics Laboratory Facility, and actively supports ECSS standardisation activities.

Avionic Architecture

Responsible for supporting all ESA missions in the area of Avionics Sub-System development, their verification and validation, and their qualification within the framework of the agency's strategic objectives.

Data Handling

Responsible for on-board data handling sub-systems (Platform and Payload) and for developing and qualifying equipment for data acquisition, processing, and distribution (buses, interfaces, mass-memory, data-processing chains, remote interface units, etc.). On-board data processing is an important focus of the section, including development of turnkey AI hardware solutions for ESA missions. The section conducts R&D activities in its domain of responsibility, manages the Data Handling Laboratory Facility, and actively supports ECSS/CCSDS standardisation activities.

Flight Software

This section designs and maintains flight software for spacecraft control and payload management. It addresses real-time operating systems, fault detection and recovery, and software validation frameworks. The team also explores advanced concepts such as AI-assisted on-board processing, ensuring adaptability and resilience in increasingly complex missions. The section conducts R&D activities in its domain of responsibility, manages the Flight Software Laboratory Facility, and actively supports ECSS/CCSDS standardisation activities.

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

You will contribute to ESA’s introduction of Software Defined Spacecrafts for telecommunication, planetary science and Earth observation autonomous spacecraft platforms and rovers based around High Performance Computing units to reduce, at avionics level, the electrical and electronics recurrent manufacturing cost.

Akin to developments in the automotive world, the introduction of advanced high performance compute units to support autonomous operation enables the optimisation of spacecraft electronic data processing and control into a handful of units, with an accompanying decrease in manufacturing costs.

Key drivers include:

• reducing HW complexity/harness/mass
• improved latency
• improved flexibility
• improved ability to reconfigure / update / re-partition functions

These advances are specifically important to future telecommunication, planetary science and Earth observation missions.

From a software perspective, such an architecture requires a software framework supporting time and space partitioning to integrate multiple functions on the same computer. This also allows hosting apps with multiple criticality and integrating software apps provided by multiple suppliers.

An essential part of the software framework is supporting the notion of a software app. Rather than relying on traditional patch&dump functionality—typically implemented at the level of a software image representing the complete software running on a processor—the framework shall support transparent update of such software apps in flight. This shall be accompanied by well-defined development and V&V procedures on ground and spacecraft operation procedures (and corresponding flight software execution rules and constraints) in flight.

Your work will focus on identifying, analysing and benchmarking suitable High Performance Computing (HPC) hardware, including processors, accelerators, memories and interfaces, for use in avionic platforms for spacecraft and/or rovers. The hardware should support the traditional suite of avionic sensors and transducers as well as those for AI-enabled autonomous operation as needed for debris evasion, docking, landing and surface exploration.

For a selected application from future telecommunication, planetary science and Earth observation missions, the appropriate software framework will be selected, implemented and evaluated. The evaluation of the selected HPC configuration could be conducted in a simulation/emulation environment or, depending on availability, on procured hardware in the laboratory, with mission scenarios including AI, real-time and high-reliability signal processing and control tasks.

You will aid in laying the foundation for future high-performance computing missions by creating scalable solutions that meet the demands of telecommunication, planetary science and Earth observation missions. These missions utilise advanced sensors and real-time data processing for control of spacecraft and rovers, making your contribution essential to improving efficiency and mission success. By working on cutting-edge technologies today, you will play a key role in shaping ESA’s capability to handle complex computational challenges in space, bridging the gap between current commercial solutions and future space-qualified hardware.

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 just completed, or be in the final year of your master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or Microelectronics.

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.

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

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.