The European Space Agency (ESA) is offering an internship in its Science Operations Department at ESAC in Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain, to develop the Solar Orbiter App in ESA Datalabs. Applications close on 30 November 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the full vacancy and set out every task, requirement and eligibility rule below.
The Internship at a Glance
The internship sits within ESA's Science Directorate. These are the formal details of the vacancy:
🆔 Job Requisition ID: 20957
🎓 Type of appointment: Intern
🏛️ Directorate: Science
📍 Workplace: Villanueva de la Cañada, ES
🗺️ Location: ESAC, Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain
📣 Publication method: External Only
📅 Closing date: 30 November 2026, 23:59 CET/CEST
Where You Will Be Based: ESAC in Villanueva de la Cañada
The internship is located at ESAC in Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain. The vacancy lists Villanueva de la Cañada, ES as the workplace for the role within the Science Directorate.
The Science Operations Department and Its Mission
The Head of the Science Operations Department works under the direct authority of D/SCI. The department is responsible for three things:
🏗️ Developing the science operations infrastructure under the Directorate's responsibility
🎛️ Operating the Directorate's missions once they have been successfully commissioned
📦 Curating all scientific data in the missions' legacy phase
These responsibilities are discharged in full coordination with the Directorate's Departments and Offices and, as appropriate, with the Directorate of Operations (D/OPS).
Three Divisions Support the Department
In implementing its duties, the Science Operations Department (SCI-S) is supported by three divisions:
🧭 Mission Management and Science Operations Division (SCI-SO)
🔧 Science Operations Development Division (SCI-SD)
🗃️ Data Science and Archives Division (SCI-SA)
Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the ESA website, which is listed in the Links section below.
Topic of the Internship: Developing the Solar Orbiter App in ESA Datalabs
The topic of the internship is developing the Solar Orbiter App in ESA Datalabs. The project aims to make key-science datasets from Solar Orbiter more accessible to the scientific community by building a new application within the ESA Datalabs (EDL) environment.
Solar Orbiter: ESA's Flagship Mission to the Sun
Solar Orbiter is an ESA-led flagship mission in heliophysics to observe the Sun and the heliosphere. The Solar Orbiter ARchive (SOAR) at ESAC contains more than 5 million unique science files measured by ten instruments aboard the spacecraft. The data include two kinds of measurements:
🔭 High-resolution remote-sensing observations: such as the closest images of the Sun ever taken and the world-first observations of the solar poles
⚡ State-of-the-art in-situ measurements: of solar particles and the electromagnetic field at the spacecraft site, which allow phenomena on the Sun to be linked with their impact on the inner solar system
ESA Datalabs: Run Your Code Where the Data Lives
EDL serves as a primary computational platform for accessing and analysing ESA's astronomical datasets and is currently being expanded towards planetary and heliophysics datasets. One central aspect of EDL is that users can run their own code directly on the archived mission data volume instead of downloading all these data.
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The Goal: A Starter Package in One Solar Orbiter App
Taking advantage of the EDL infrastructure, the team aims to integrate a comprehensive "starter package" for scientific data analysis within one single "Solar Orbiter App" in EDL. The scientific analysis code, with examples for each Solar Orbiter instrument, is currently available as individual Jupyter notebooks that demonstrate important steps for the analysis of key datasets.
What You Will Do: The Full Implementation Cycle
You will work together with experts from ESA archives and Datalabs on the full implementation cycle of the application, up to its public release. The cycle covers three stages:
📐 Designing the architecture of the application
🔌 Integrating the code and the access to the archive data
🧪 Systematically testing the application and implementing the necessary improvements
What the Finished App Should Deliver
In the end, the Solar Orbiter App shall serve two groups of users:
🚀 New users: it gives them a kickstart for their science projects
🎯 Experienced users: it demonstrates the added value of EDL by containing code applications, based on clear scientific use cases, to run on the mission data for one or several instrument datasets
Behavioural Competencies
The vacancy lists the following ESA core behavioural competencies:
🏁 Result Orientation
⚙️ Operational Efficiency
🤝 Fostering Cooperation
💬 Relationship Management
🔄 Continuous Improvement
🧠 Forward Thinking
For more information, the vacancy refers to the ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook.
Who Can Apply: 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.
Language 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.
Skills and Experience the Vacancy Requires
During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored. You should also have:
🧮 A strong background in physics, computer science, or software engineering
🐍 Proficiency in Python, with at least 1 year's experience in scientific or software development projects
🪐 Solid knowledge of astrophysics, space physics, or plasma physics, having completed at least one university course on one of these topics
Highly Valued Experience
The vacancy names two areas that are highly valued:
☁️ Experience with cloud platforms, containerisation (Docker), and distributed computing
📊 Experience in scientific data analysis with Python, ideally with space physics remote-sensing or in-situ data
Eligible Nationalities
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).
Length, Start Date and Application Limit
According to ESA's announcement of its 2027 student internships, an internship lasts between 3 and 6 months and starts from February 2027. The exact start date is agreed with the ESA tutor. One candidate can apply for a maximum of 2 vacancies.
Selection Process
During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored. During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness
ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. It welcomes applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.
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 you can contact ESA by email using the address in the Links section below.
Important 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. The vacancy does not state a stipend or allowance. You can find more opportunities like this in the internships and traineeships section of Youth Works Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Solar Orbiter App Development internship based?
The internship is based at ESAC in Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain, within ESA's Science Directorate. The vacancy lists Villanueva de la Cañada, ES as the workplace.
What is the deadline to apply?
The closing date is 30 November 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST. Applications are submitted through the ESA careers website.
What is the Solar Orbiter App?
It is a new application within the ESA Datalabs (EDL) environment that integrates a comprehensive "starter package" for scientific data analysis of Solar Orbiter data. It aims to make key-science datasets from the mission more accessible to the scientific community.
What will I do as a Solar Orbiter App Development intern?
You will work with experts from ESA archives and Datalabs on the full implementation cycle of the application up to its public release. This includes designing its architecture, integrating the code and access to the archive data, and systematically testing the application and implementing necessary improvements.
What is ESA Datalabs?
ESA Datalabs (EDL) is a primary computational platform for accessing and analysing ESA's astronomical datasets, and it is currently being expanded towards planetary and heliophysics datasets. Users can run their own code directly on the archived mission data volume instead of downloading all the data.
How much data does the Solar Orbiter Archive hold?
The Solar Orbiter ARchive (SOAR) at ESAC contains more than 5 million unique science files measured by ten instruments aboard the spacecraft. It holds both high-resolution remote-sensing observations and in-situ measurements of solar particles and the electromagnetic field.
Who can apply for this internship?
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 are eligible?
Applications are only considered from nationals of ESA's listed States, which include Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and 22 others named in the vacancy. Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State can apply, as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States.
Which skills and experience does the vacancy require?
The vacancy asks for a strong background in physics, computer science, or software engineering, at least 1 year's experience in Python in scientific or software development projects, and solid knowledge of astrophysics, space physics, or plasma physics, with at least one university course on one of these topics.
Which experience is highly valued?
Experience with cloud platforms, containerisation (Docker), and distributed computing is highly valued, as is experience in scientific data analysis with Python, ideally with space physics remote-sensing or in-situ data.
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 long does the internship last and when does it start?
According to ESA's 2027 student internships announcement, an internship lasts between 3 and 6 months and starts from February 2027, with the exact start date agreed with the ESA tutor.
How many ESA internship vacancies can I apply for?
One candidate can apply for a maximum of 2 vacancies, according to ESA's announcement of its 2027 student internships.
Is the internship paid?
The vacancy does not state a stipend or allowance.
What happens during the selection process?
Your motivation for applying to the role will be explored during the interview. ESA may also ask applicants to undergo selection tests during the recruitment process.
Deadline
⏳ 30 November 2026
Links
🔗 Full vacancy and application (Apply now): https://jobs.esa.int/job/Villanueva-de-la-Ca%C3%B1ada-Intern-in-the-Science-Operations-Department-Solar-Orbiter-App-Development/1452874833/
📘 ESA Student Internships 2027 announcement: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA/ESA_Student_Internships_2027_are_now_open
🌐 ESA website: https://www.esa.int
📧 ESA student internships contact (diversity and accessibility questions): ESA.Student.Internships@esa.int
