🇩🇪 JUICE Flight Control Team Intern 🚀 ESA Mission Operations Department Internship in Darmstadt, Germany 🪐

The European Space Agency (ESA) is offering an internship in the Mission Operations Department, JUICE Flight Control Team, at ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany. Applications close on 30 November 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST, and the vacancy is open to university students from ESA's participating states. At Youth Works Hub we went through the full vacancy and set out every detail below.

The Vacancy at a Glance

This 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: 21116

🎓 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 for the role within the Operations Directorate.

Our Team and Mission: Flying ESA's Solar and Interplanetary Spacecraft

The team is responsible for mission preparation and flight operations for the ESA fleet of solar and interplanetary spacecraft. The Division currently operates multiple missions and is preparing for the launch of several others.

🔴 Missions in operation: Mars Express, ExoMars-TGO, BepiColombo, Solar Orbiter, HERA and JUICE

🚀 Missions in preparation: Rosalind Franklin Mission, RAMSES, Comet Interceptor, Argonaut and EnVision

JUICE: ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer

JUICE, short for 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.

What JUICE Will Do at Jupiter

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. The emphasis is on the three ocean-bearing Galilean moons and their potential habitability.

🌊 Ganymede

🧊 Europa

🌑 Callisto

Where the Flight Control Team Stands Today

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 the 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.

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Why JUICE Is a Complex Interplanetary Mission

JUICE is a complex interplanetary mission with several constraints:

☀️ Distance to the Sun: drives power availability

📡 Distance to Earth: drives communications delay, limited data return and autonomy

🌡️ Thermal environment

☢️ Severe radiation: present in the Jupiter system

⏳ A long Cruise phase: focused on saving platform unit lifetime, but also on knowledge management

Choose Your Topic: Two Fields of Activity for the Internship

You can choose between two topics for the internship.

Topic 1: Mission Planning System Enhancement

Topic 1 is the enhancement of the ground-based mission planning system used for spacecraft command generation. The focus is on improving link budget calculations and tuning of the spacecraft power model.

Topic 2: Telemetry Monitoring Tools

Topic 2 is the 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. The tools enable the identification of configuration inconsistencies and anomalies.

Your Place in the Team

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.

Who You Will Work With and What You Will Draw On

You will mainly interact with people in the Flight Control Team. You will also be expected to analyse and reuse experience and lessons learned from previous and on-going deep space missions.

What You Will Gain

This position will grant you broad insight into the different aspects of spacecraft operations preparation and execution for a complex interplanetary mission.

🛰️ Platform

🔭 Instruments

🏗️ Ground segment

Duration and Start Date

According to ESA's announcement of its 2027 student internships, an internship lasts 3 to 6 months and starts from February 2027. The exact start 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. 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 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

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.

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

The Interview: Your Motivation Comes First

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

One Application Limit to Keep in Mind

ESA allows one candidate to apply for a maximum of 2 internship vacancies.

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 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 JUICE Flight Control Team internship based?

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

What is the JUICE mission?

JUICE, the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer, is the first large mission in the ESA Cosmic Vision programme. It launched in April 2023 and will arrive at Jupiter in 2031, then spend at least 5 years investigating the Jupiter system, with emphasis on Ganymede, Europa and Callisto.

What topics can I choose from?

You can choose between two topics. Topic 1 is the enhancement of the ground-based mission planning system used for spacecraft command generation, focused on link budget calculations and tuning of the spacecraft power model. Topic 2 is the development of automated telemetry monitoring tools for the JUICE Flight Control Team.

Who will I report to?

You will report to the JUICE Spacecraft Operations Manager and be integrated in the JUICE Flight Control Team. You will mainly interact with people in the team.

How long does the internship last and when does it start?

According to ESA's announcement of its 2027 student internships, an internship lasts 3 to 6 months and starts from February 2027. 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 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, Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta can apply as well.

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 ESA internships can I apply for?