ESA Graduate Trainee in Guidance, Navigation and Control Systems

Our team and mission

The ESA Graduate Trainee (EGT) in Guidance, Navigation and Control Systems (GNC) 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 EGT 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;

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, …);
• 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, 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

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 GNC simulation, analysis, design, and verification facilities and to perform laboratory activities in the field of the GNC Systems, amongst the following ones:

• GNC Systems definition and validation 
• Orbital proximity operations, including application to in-orbit servicing, in-orbit assembly and space debris removal
• GNC Systems Verification and Validation using Model Based engineering resources and process, with focus on automated code generation
• Development and assessment of autonomy functions for future GNC systems
• Performance and robustness characterisation of new GNC sensors
• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experiments for rapid GNC Systems prototyping and verification, for example in the GRALS(GNC Rendezvous, Approach and Landing Simulator) robotics facility at ESTEC
• Contribution to the GNC simulator modelling and tools library

You will perform the following tasks (or part of them)

1/ Development and use of simulator for shadow engineering of Argonaut GNC development, with the following detailed tasks
TASK 1: Validation of simulation models (Sensors, actuators, dynamics, GNC Modules)
TASK 2: Support to the implementation of Sloshing models and control (survey on Sloshing models and parametrization, verification of Argonaut sloshing model, implementation of the model in the Argonaut simulator, Support in the design and tuning of sloshing control/filters)
TASK 3: Interfacing the simulator with an image rendering tool (PANGU or other) and creation of high-resolution terrain models
TASK 4: Performing analyses of relative navigation algorithms
TASK 5: Maintenance and extension of the simulation infrastructure to support Monte Carlo simulation campaigns

2/ Development and Hardware-in-the-Loop verification of Thurst Vector Control (TVC) fault-tolerant control
TASK 1 Refurbish the second TVC line on ESTEC’s test bench
TASK 2 Review and familiarise with existing fault-tolerant control algorithms for the TVC closed loop control
TASK 3 Further development of the FDI (fault detection and isolation) fault evaluation and decision-making logic
TASK 4 Hardware in the loop testing using the ETSEC TVC test bench

3/ Enhance the Multivehicle Analysis and Separation tool (MAST)
TASK 1 Familiarise with the MAST tool, used internally to verify that the payload separation requirements from launcher upper stages are fulfilled and that there are no collisions between the released payloads.
TASK 2 Update the existing capability to automatically assemble the simulation model based on a User Input file to able to handle multiple separation mechanism configurations.
TASK 3 Define more detailed separation mechanisms (as needed wrt mission)
TASK 4 Update the Monte Carlo and the post processing tool
TASK 5 Development of a reference frame handling tool for an easier first implementation of the model

4) Document the performed activities in dedicated technical reports and communicate results

This ESA Graduate Traineeship will provide the selected candidate with a solid GNC 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