Intern in the Mission Operations Department - JUICE Flight Control Team - European Space Agency (Darmstadt)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Space Agency on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

• Enhancement of ground-based mission planning system for spacecraft command generation with focus on link budget calculations and power model tuning (Topic 1)
• Development of telemetry monitoring tools for JUICE Flight Control Team (Topic 2)
• Processing housekeeping telemetry and comparing spacecraft configuration parameters against expected values
• Identification of configuration inconsistencies and anomalies
• Analysis and reuse of experience and lessons learned from previous/on-going deep space missions

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

• Education: University student, preferably in final or second-to-last year of Master's level course
• Languages: English (good kn…), French (good kn…)
• Key skills: Link budget calculations, Spacecraft power model tuning, Telemetry monitoring tool development, Spacecraft operations knowledge
• Eligibility: Must be enrolled at university for the entire duration of the internship

Contract and working arrangements

Working arrangements: ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany.

Hiring unit: Mission Operations Department, JUICE Flight Control Team.

Position details

Reference

1452802433

Last Verified

9 November 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Intern in the Mission Operations Department - JUICE Flight Control Team at ESA based in Darmstadt (Traineeship). The vacancy reference is 1452802433.

Job Requisition ID:21116

Date Posted:1 November 2026

Closing Date:30 November 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication Method:External Only

Location ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany

Our team and mission

​​Our team is responsible for mission preparation and flight operations for the ESA fleet of solar and interplanetary spacecraft. The Division currently operates multiple missions (Mars Express, Exomars-TGO, BepiColombo, Solar Orbiter, HERA and JUICE) and is preparing for the launch of several others (Rosalind Franklin Mission, RAMSES, Comet Interceptor, Argonaut and EnVision).

​

​JUICE - JUpiter ICy moons Explorer - is the first large mission in the ESA Cosmic Vision programme. The mission was launched in April 2023 and is currently en route to Jupiter, encountering several gravity assist manoeuvres at Earth and Venus on its way. After the arrival at Jupiter in 2031, JUICE will spend at least 5 years making a thorough investigation of the Jupiter system in all its complexity with emphasis on the three ocean‐bearing Galilean moons Ganymede, Europa and Callisto, and their potential habitability.

​The flight control team of JUICE is currently preparing the Earth gravity assist in September 2026 and monitoring the spacecraft through the phase of the mission while being close to Sun. In early 2027, the spacecraft will be entering cold Cruise, where most constraints are relaxed, and a number of spacecraft and payload activities are being prepared.

​JUICE is a complex interplanetary mission with several constraints imposed by the distance to the Sun (driving power availability), the distance to Earth (driving communications delay, limited data return and autonomy), thermal environment, severe radiation in the Jupiter system and a long Cruise phase, which is focused on saving platform unit lifetime, but also knowledge management. ​

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

​You can choose between the following topics:

​Topic 1: Enhancement of the ground-based mission planning system used for spacecraft command generation, with a focus on improving link budget calculations and tuning of the spacecraft power model.

​Topic 2: Development of telemetry monitoring tools for the JUICE Flight Control Team. This activity involves the creation of automated monitoring applications that process housekeeping telemetry and compare spacecraft configuration parameters retrieved from telemetry against their expected values, enabling the identification of configuration inconsistencies and anomalies.

​You will report to the JUICE Spacecraft Operations Manager. You will be integrated in the JUICE Flight Control Team and will be able to experience routine operations of a deep space spacecraft. You will mainly interact with people in the Flight Control Team; however, you will be also expected to analyse and reuse experience and lessons learned from previous/on-going deep space missions.

​This position will grant you broad insight into the different aspects of spacecraft operations preparation and execution, including platform, instruments and ground segment for a complex interplanetary mission.​

Behavioural competencies

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.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 9 November 2026, 1 day ago.

The application deadline is 30 November 2026, 19 days from today. Late applications are not accepted, so submit through the official EU Careers portal well in advance.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 9 November 2026.

Where to learn more

For headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at ESA see the ESA institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Darmstadt see our Darmstadt location page.

New to EU careers? Our beginner's guide walks through entry routes, EPSO competitions, and what to prepare. For application logistics see application tips and EPSO competitions.