The European Space Agency (ESA) is looking for an Intern in the Mission Operations Department, Astrophysics Missions Division, Spacecraft Operations, at ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany. Applications close on 30 November 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST, and the internship is open to university students 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 the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt. These are the formal details of the vacancy:
🆔 Job Requisition ID: 21082
🎓 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, the European Space Operations Centre, in Darmstadt, Germany. The vacancy lists Darmstadt, DE as the workplace for the role within the Operations directorate.
Our Team and Mission: The Flight Control Team
You will join the Flight Control Team of the PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars mission as it completes its preparations for launch. The mission will use the planetary transit method to discover and characterise planets orbiting other stars, with particular emphasis on Earth-like planets.
Based at the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, the Flight Control Team is responsible for preparing and conducting spacecraft operations. The team has been testing the spacecraft and validating the operational ground segment, including the mission control system, spacecraft simulator, operational procedures and interfaces needed to monitor and control the spacecraft.
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Who the Team Works With
The team works closely with several partners and brings their contributions together:
🏭 the spacecraft manufacturer
🇩🇪 the German Aerospace Center
🧭 flight dynamics and mission analysis specialists
🔬 the science operations team in Spain
Together they plan spacecraft activities, send commands, monitor spacecraft health and respond to unexpected situations.
What Happens When You Start: Simulations, Commissioning and Routine Operations
At the beginning of your internship, the team will be conducting an intensive simulation campaign covering both nominal operations and contingency scenarios for the launch and early orbit phase. This will be followed by spacecraft commissioning and the transition towards routine operations.
You will therefore support the team during one of the most important phases of the mission and gain first-hand experience of how a spacecraft is prepared for launch and operated in space.
Your Main Task: A Maintainable Monitoring Framework
Your main task will be to help the Flight Control Team establish a maintainable and extensible data-processing framework for routine spacecraft monitoring and operational reporting.
How Spacecraft Data Is Stored and Used
All telemetry received from the spacecraft and all commands sent to it are stored in a database cluster. This information can be retrieved, analysed and displayed through a web interface or through software interfaces.
The European Space Operations Centre provides a common set of tools for automated monitoring, trend analysis and reporting. Before these tools can be used for spacecraft operations, however, they must be configured, tailored to the mission and validated.
What the Monitoring Framework Will Include
You will contribute to the development of a monitoring framework that can be maintained collaboratively by the team and extended with additional spacecraft health-monitoring functions. The framework will include the following elements:
⚙️ automated execution of monitoring tasks
🗂️ configuration and change tracking
📝 documentation
🤝 collaborative software-development workflows
Where appropriate, you will also help define methods for testing and validating the monitoring functions before their operational use.
A Secondary Activity: Monitoring the Ground Segment
A secondary activity will be to configure tools for monitoring the operational ground segment. This may include the following:
🖥️ monitoring the health of software processes and applications
📂 monitoring file exchanges
🗄️ monitoring telemetry database updates
🚨 forwarding relevant alarms to the operations team
Other Operations Preparation Work
You may also support other spacecraft operations preparation activities, including the development and testing of operational procedures and software scripts.
What You Will Learn
By the end of the internship, you will have gained practical experience in the following areas:
📡 spacecraft telemetry monitoring
📊 operational data analysis
🔧 software configuration management
👥 collaborative development
✅ the validation of tools used to operate a spacecraft
Internship Length and Start Date
According to ESA's announcement of its 2027 student internships, the internship lasts 3 to 6 months and starts from February 2027 at the earliest. The exact start date is agreed with the ESA tutor. A candidate can apply to a maximum of 2 vacancies.
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.
Background That Counts as an Asset
A background in computer science, software engineering, data science or a related technical discipline would be an asset. During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.
Practical Skills That Would Be Useful
Practical knowledge or experience in one or more of the following areas would also be useful:
🐍 programming in Python, including the use of data-analysis and interactive computing libraries
🔌 retrieving and processing data through software interfaces
🌐 development of web-based applications or services
📦 containerised software environments
🔀 collaborative software development and version control
🧪 automated testing, continuous integration or deployment workflows
📈 time-series data analysis, monitoring or data visualisation
You are not expected to have experience in all these areas. An interest in learning new technologies and applying software-development practices in an operational environment is important.
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
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
Selection Tests and Working Conditions Information
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.
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. If you want to know how we check that every listing has a working, official application route, our guide on how we verify every opportunity explains our process. If you are comparing traineeships and internships abroad, our hub guide to how funded traineeships really work is a useful starting point.
Browse more internships and traineeships on Youth Works Hub →
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the ESA Intern position based?
The position is based at ESOC, the European Space Operations Centre, in Darmstadt, Germany, within ESA's Operations directorate. The vacancy lists Darmstadt, DE as the workplace.
What will I work on during the internship?
Your main task is to help the Flight Control Team establish a maintainable and extensible data-processing framework for routine spacecraft monitoring and operational reporting. A secondary activity is to configure tools for monitoring the operational ground segment, and you may also support the development and testing of operational procedures and software scripts.
Which mission will I support?
You will join the Flight Control Team of the PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars mission as it completes its preparations for launch. The mission will use the planetary transit method to discover and characterise planets orbiting other stars, with particular emphasis on Earth-like planets.
What will the team be doing when I start?
At the beginning of your internship, the team will be conducting an intensive simulation campaign covering both nominal operations and contingency scenarios for the launch and early orbit phase. This will be followed by spacecraft commissioning and the transition towards routine operations.
How long is the internship and when does it start?
According to ESA's announcement of its 2027 student internships, the internship lasts 3 to 6 months and starts from February 2027 at the earliest. The start date is agreed with the ESA tutor.
Who 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.
Which nationalities can apply?
Applications are only considered from nationals of ESA's participating 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, and so can applicants from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).
Do I need a computer science degree?
A background in computer science, software engineering, data science or a related technical discipline would be an asset, so it is not stated as a strict requirement. The vacancy also says that you are not expected to have experience in all the listed areas, and that an interest in learning new technologies and applying software-development practices in an operational environment is important.
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.
How many internships can I apply to?
According to ESA's announcement of its 2027 student internships, a candidate can apply to a maximum of 2 vacancies.
Will there be an interview or tests?
During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored. The Agency may also request applicants to undergo selection tests during the recruitment process.
Does the vacancy state an allowance?
No allowance is stated on the vacancy page. The page describes the internship tasks, education requirement, additional requirements and nationality rules.
What is the application deadline?
The closing date is 30 November 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST.
Deadline
⏳ 30 November 2026 (23:59 CET/CEST)
Links
🔗 Job description and application: https://jobs.esa.int/job/Darmstadt-Intern-in-the-Mission-Operations-Department-Astrophysics-Missions-Division-Spacecraft-Operations/1452799333/
🌐 European Space Agency: https://www.esa.int
🎓 ESA Student Internships 2027 announcement: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA/ESA_Student_Internships_2027_are_now_open
📨 ESA student internships contact (disability support and recruitment assistance): ESA.Student.Internships@esa.int
