🇩🇪 Space Weather & OPS-SAT Lab Mission Operations Intern 🛰️ ESA Internship in Darmstadt, Germany 🚀

The European Space Agency (ESA) is looking for an Intern in the Mission Operations Department to work on Space Weather and the OPS-SAT Lab at ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany. Applications close on 30 November 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST, and the internship is open to university students, preferably in their final or second-to-last year of a Master's course, who are nationals of ESA's participating states. At Youth Works Hub we went through the full vacancy and set out every duty, requirement and selection detail below.

The Vacancy at a Glance

The internship sits in ESA's Operations Directorate and is based at ESOC in Darmstadt. These are the formal details of the vacancy:

🆔 Job Requisition ID: 21084

🎓 Type of appointment: Intern

🏛️ Directorate: Operations

📍 Workplace: Darmstadt, DE

🏢 Location: ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany

📣 Publication method: External Only

⏳ Closing date: 30 November 2026, 23:59 CET/CEST

Where You Will Be Based: ESOC, Darmstadt

The internship is located at ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany. The vacancy lists Darmstadt, DE as the workplace and places the role in the Mission Operations Department of the Operations Directorate.

Our Team and Mission: The OPS-SAT Space Lab

OPS-SAT Space Lab is an international award winning project. For the first time it allows European and Canadian external experimenters to develop, load and execute their own software and firmware in space, free of charge.

From One Mission to a Multi-Mission Lab

The first mission, OPS-SAT-1, ran from 2019 to 2024 and has now finished. Two follow-on missions will be launched in 2027, and another is presently in flight. The Lab has evolved from a single mission into a multi-mission infrastructure.

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Who Uses the Lab

Many experimenters have used the Lab. The vacancy describes a community that ranges across three levels:

🚀 other space agencies such as NASA, JAXA, CNES and DLR

✈️ big primes such as Airbus

🎓 university departments and start-ups

Your Role: Supporting the Experimenter Community

ESA must support the OPS-SAT experimenter community. As an intern you will help experimenters get familiar with the different OPS-SAT mission on-board environments and with how to control the many sensors, actuators and payloads. You will provide this support directly, by interacting with the experimenters.

Testing Across the Whole Lifecycle

Your work includes arranging tests of the experimenters' experiments through the various parts of the lifecycle. It ends with supervising the tests on the real spacecraft.

Supporting Spacecraft Development, Launch and Commissioning

You will also support the development cycle of spacecraft in preparation, launch, and commissioning. This links your internship to the follow-on OPS-SAT missions currently being prepared.

What You Will Be Exposed To

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

Internship Length and Start Date

According to ESA's Student Internships 2027 announcement, ESA internships last between 3 and 6 months and start from February 2027. The exact starting date is agreed with the ESA tutor.

Education Requirement

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.

Working Languages

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.

Software Experience

Proven experience in software development (e.g. Linux, Python) is an asset. It strengthens an application, and the vacancy does not list it as a strict requirement.

Behavioural Competencies

Six behavioural competencies are listed. For more information, the vacancy refers candidates to the ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook.

🎯 Result Orientation

⚙️ Operational Efficiency

🫱 Fostering Cooperation

🧩 Relationship Management

🔄 Continuous Improvement

🔭 Forward Thinking

Your Motivation at the Interview

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

Selection Tests

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.

Internship Conditions Information

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.

Which Nationalities Can Apply

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.

🍁 Cooperating State: applicants from Canada can apply as well

🤲 European Cooperating States (ECS): applicants from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta can apply as well

How Many Vacancies You Can Apply To

According to ESA's Student Internships 2027 announcement, one candidate can apply to a maximum of 2 internship vacancies.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness at ESA

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

Support for Applicants With Disabilities

At the Agency diversity is valued, and people with disabilities are welcome. Whenever possible, ESA seeks 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, and its contact address is listed in the Links section below.

Applying Through the Official ESA Careers Page

Applications go through ESA's own careers website, and the full vacancy text is published there.

Browse more internships and traineeships on Youth Works Hub →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the ESA Mission Operations internship based?

The internship is based at ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany, within the Mission Operations Department of ESA's Operations Directorate. The vacancy lists Darmstadt, DE as the workplace.

What will I work on during the internship?

You will support the OPS-SAT experimenter community by helping them get familiar with the OPS-SAT mission on-board environments and with how to control the sensors, actuators and payloads. You will arrange tests of their experiments through the lifecycle and supervise the tests on the real spacecraft, and you will support the development cycle of spacecraft in preparation, launch and commissioning.

What is the OPS-SAT Space Lab?

OPS-SAT Space Lab is an international award winning project that allows European and Canadian external experimenters to develop, load and execute their own software and firmware in space, free of charge. It has evolved from the single mission OPS-SAT-1 (2019 to 2024) into a multi-mission infrastructure.

Who are the experimenters I will support?

Experimenters range from other space agencies such as NASA, JAXA, CNES and DLR, to big primes such as Airbus, down to university departments and start-ups.

Which students can apply?

You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of university course at Master's level. You must also be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your university for the entire duration of the internship.

How long is the internship and when does it start?

According to ESA's Student Internships 2027 announcement, internships last between 3 and 6 months and start from February 2027. The exact starting date is agreed with the ESA tutor.

Do I need programming experience?

Proven experience in software development (e.g. Linux, Python) is listed as an asset, so it strengthens an application but is not stated as a strict requirement.

Which languages do I need?

The working languages of the Agency are English and French, and a good knowledge of one of them is required. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.

Which nationalities can apply?

Applications are only considered from 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 can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).

How many ESA internships can I apply to?