Our team and mission

This position is based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) – Noordwijk, Netherlands

Under the direct authority of the Systems Department, the GNC, AOCS and Pointing Division is responsible for:

• Engineering and research and development of Attitude and Orbit Control Systems (AOCS) for satellites including Failure Detection Isolation & Recovery (FDIR);
• Engineering and research and development of Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) systems for space vehicles including interplanetary cruise, aero assistance, precision landing, ascent, rendezvous and docking, re-entry, formation flying and drag-free systems;
• Technology development for AOCS and GNC sensors;
• End-to-end engineering and research and development on high pointing accuracy systems;
• Research and development of advanced control, estimation & optimisation techniques and tools;
• Development of control engineering standards in the frame of ECSS and ESA Standardisation Boards.

The Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) Section provides functional support to ESA projects in the technical field of GNC systems for planetary exploration orbiters and landers, launch and transportation systems, re-entry vehicles, and new generation space vehicles for in-orbit servicing, in-orbit assembly, debris removal and for specialized applications such as rendezvous and formation flying.

The Guidance Navigation and Control Section carries out technological research in the fields of GNC systems for space vehicles including interplanetary cruise, aero assistance, precision landing, ascent, rendezvous and docking, re-entry, formation flying and drag-free systems. This covers with special emphasis the following areas: autonomous and fault-tolerant systems (including Health Monitoring Systems), advanced guidance, control, estimation and optimization techniques and tools, as well as technology development of GNC sensors with emphasis on vision-based navigation and hybrid navigation concepts.

For further information visit our web site: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic: Vision-based Data-driven simulator

Data-driven simulation is basically a way to enhance a dataset with synthetic data for new states that are not in the original dataset. This is done via transformations and/or interpolation to synthesizing new images or other sensor data on-demand. Such simulators can yield more realistic imagery, based on real data, than fully synthetic images. Thus, the simulated products can be used to train control policies for autonomous vehicles that can be directly deployed and aimed to show similar performances in the real world as in the simulator.

As an intern, you would use as input an existing image dataset from the GRALS laboratory facility (GNC Rendezvous, Approach and Landing Simulator, see this link for example ), and implement the image transformation and interpolation routines required to implement a data driven simulator. Note that vision-based toolboxes shall be employed to simplify the work. If time allows, a simple control policy could be implemented and trained using the simulator, in order to show the feasibility of such a concept for space applications. Comparison to the same policy trained with synthetic images would also be performed.
This internship would allow you to gain experience and familiarity in Vision-Based Navigation, Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) simulator and validation techniques, as well as laboratory and hands-on activities for space missions.

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

You must have student status and be enrolled at university for the entire duration of the internship. You should preferably be in your final or second to last year of a university course at master’s level in a technical or scientific discipline.

Additional requirements

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.

Additional Requirements:

• Knowledge and background in Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) systems, Attitude and Orbit Control Systems (AOCS) as well as control engineering is an asset.
• Vision-Based navigation techniques, image processing, planetary rendering tools, control theory, estimation theory, Matlab / Simulink familiarity