Intern in the Mission Operations Department - Space Weather & OPS-SAT Lab Mission Operations - 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:

• Provide support to OPS-SAT experimenter community
• Help experimenters get familiar with different OPS-SAT mission on-board environments
• Assist experimenters in controlling sensors, actuators and payloads
• Arrange tests of experiments through various parts of the lifecycle
• Supervise tests on real spacecraft
• Support development cycle of spacecraft in preparation, launch, and commissioning

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. Must be able to prove enrollment at university for entire duration of internship.
• Languages: English (good kn…), French (good kn…)
• Key skills: Software development (e.g. Linux, Python) - asset
• Eligibility: Nationals of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State and from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS)…

Selection process

The notice describes the following selection steps:

• Selection tests may be requested during recruitment process
• Interview to explore motivation for applying to the role

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: Internship.

Working arrangements: On-site, ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany.

Hiring unit: Operations Directorate, Mission Operations Department.

Position details

Reference

1452799733

Last Verified

6 November 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Intern in the Mission Operations Department - Space Weather & OPS-SAT Lab Mission Operations at ESA based in Darmstadt (Traineeship). The vacancy reference is 1452799733.

Intern in the Mission Operations Department - Space Weather & OPS-SAT Lab Mission Operations

Job Requisition ID:21084

Date Posted:1 November 2026

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

Publication Method:External Only

Type of Appointment (learn more):Intern

Directorate:Operations

Workplace: Darmstadt, DE

Location ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany

Our team and mission

OPS-SAT Space Lab is an international award winning project which for the first time allows European and Canadian external experimenters to develop, load and execute their own software and firmware in space free of charge. The first mission, OPS-SAT-1 (2019 – 2024), has now finished and two follow-on missions will be launched in 2027 and another is presently in flight (https://opssat.esa.int/)). The Lab has evolved from a single mission to a multi-mission infrastructure. Many experimenters have used the Lab, ranging from other space agencies such as NASA, JAXA, CNES and DLR, to big primes such as Airbus down to university departments and start-ups.

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

​​ESA must support the OPS-SAT experimenter community, helping them get familiar with the different OPS-SAT mission on-board environments and how to control the many sensors, actuators and payloads. You will provide this support directly interacting with the experimenters and arranging tests of their experiments through the various parts of the lifecycle and finally supervising the tests on the real spacecraft. You will also support the development cycle of spacecraft in preparation, launch, and commissioning.

​

​Through these activities, you will be exposed to many of the important domains making up mission control and many of the institutions and companies that make up the experiment community.

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.

Proven experience in software development (e.g. Linux, 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 [email protected].

Important Information and Disclaimer During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.

The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding internship conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.

Nationality

Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).

× Cookie Consent Manager

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

Required Cookies

These cookies are required to use this website and can't be turned off.

- [x] Required Cookies

Show More Details

Required Cookies Provider · Description · Enabled SAP as service provider · We use the following session cookies, which are all required to enable the website to function: * "route" is used for session stickiness * "careerSiteCompanyId" is used to send the request to the correct data centre * "JSESSIONID" is placed on the visitor's device during the session so the server can identify the visitor * "Load balancer cookie" (actual cookie name may vary) prevents a visitor from bouncing from one instance to another · - [x] Cookies from provider SAPasserviceprovider are required and cannot be turned off

- * *

Advertising Cookies

These cookies serve ads that are relevant to your interests. You may freely choose to accept or decline these cookies at any time. Note that certain functionality that these third parties make available may be impacted if you do not accept these cookies.

- [x] Consent to all Advertising Cookies

Advertising Cookies Provider · Description · Enabled AddThis · Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Cookie Information Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions · - [x] Consent to cookies from provider AddThis

Confirm My Choices

✓

Thanks for sharing!

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 2 November 2026, 5 days ago.

The application deadline is 30 November 2026, 21 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 6 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.