Intern in the Quality Department - Space Debris Mitigation

Location: Noordwijk, NL

Intern in the Quality Department - Space Debris Mitigation

Job Requisition ID

21037

Date Posted

1 November 2026

Closing Date

30 November 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication Method

External Only

Type of Appointment (learn more)

Directorate

Technology, Engineering and Quality

Workplace

Noordwijk, NL

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Location

ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Our team and mission

The Independent Safety Office is responsible for providing ESA with independent safety authority in the fields of Human Spaceflight Safety, Space Debris Mitigation and Re-entry Safety, Planetary Protection and Curation, and Nuclear Power Sources Safety.

For what concerns the field of Space Debris Mitigation and Re-entry Safety, the main functions of the Independent Safety Office include:

defining and maintaining the ESA Space Debris Mitigation Policy, requirements, technical guidance and independent safety assessment processes;

performing independent review and compliance assessment of ESA Projects with Space Debris Mitigation requirements;

processing of waivers for non-compliances with the Space Debris Mitigation requirements;

reporting on the status of implementation of Space Debris Mitigation policy for the ESA Projects;

representing ESA in different international working groups on Space Debris Mitigation.

Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity for the internship

The amount of space debris is increasing in such a way that, if current behaviours and trends in orbit continue, crucial orbital regions may become unusable. In response to this, ESA introduced its ‘Zero Debris approach’ to significantly limit the production of debris in Earth and Lunar orbits by 2030. As a first step, ESA's Space Debris Mitigation Policy and Requirements were updated in 2023, introducing stricter mitigation measures.

As ESA’s Technical Authority on Space Debris Mitigation, the Independent Safety Office is involved in the review of the space debris mitigation strategies for all missions at ESA. Therefore, we can evaluate the adoption of the requirements and the alignment of ESA projects with the ambitious Zero Debris goals. For each review, we prepare a detailed assessment of the status of compliance and issue recommendations to the projects on how to improve the safety and sustainability of their missions. With the introduction of the ‘Zero Debris Approach’, we have modernised such compliance analysis, with four objectives:

highlight driving requirements for different classes of missions;

improve traceability of the recommendations to the missions;

inform policy makers on the most critical requirements that require technology developments;

evaluate options for the evolution of the requirements in 2030.

As an intern, you will contribute to the evolution of a suite of digital tools, in Python, to reach such objectives by leveraging  the extensive dataset of reviews conducted by our team. Thanks to the database built in the previous step, you will assess the feasibility of automating the monitoring of the space debris environment impact of the ESA fleet and of ESA projects, with the objective of developing an informative dashboard on the space debris risk profile of ESA projects.

As an intern, you will also support the work on the evolution of the requirements considering:

trends in compliance as extracted from the computational pipeline above;

lessons learnt from ESA research and development activities related to Zero Debris;

emerging interest in sustainability initiatives in lunar orbit;

initiatives on space debris mitigation on-going beyond ESA;

formulation of future scenarios incorporating technology roadmaps (e.g. ESA Vision 2040) and other technology breakthroughs.

In performing your work, you will have the occasion to acquire:

a multi-disciplinary, system perspective on how to tackle the space debris issue;

hands-on experience in the use of ESA’s tools and data resources;

familiarity with emerging concepts in the field of space sustainability.

You will also be exposed to agile approaches for software development and involved in relevant tasks related to the normal work of the office.

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 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.

During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.

Familiarity and proven experience with Python is an asset.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.

At the Agency we value diversity, and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us via email at [email protected].

Important Information and Disclaimer

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo select