Our team and mission

This position is based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) - Noordwijk, Netherlands

Under the direct authority of the Head of the Electrical Department, the Head of the Radio Frequency Payloads and Technology Division is responsible for RF payloads and technologies for space applications and associated laboratory facilities. More specifically TEC-EF responsibilities encompass at subsystem and instrument level:

• Payloads with RF interface exploiting different technologies (e.g., analogue, digital, optical) including design and performance analysis tools and testing;
• RF active and passive instruments, including design and performance analysis, engineering and testing up to sub-millimetre waves;
• Telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C) subsystems, payload data transmission (PDT) subsystems including deep space and near Earth transponders, proximity and intersatellite (ISL) link antennas and equipment, high speed downlink modulators, digital communication equipment;
• Wave-propagation and interaction, including signal impairments and regulatory aspects;
• Performance assessment of RF and Optical remote sensing data products (including spurious effects mitigation and calibration techniques) at Level-1 and Level-2, and associated data processing techniques;
• Antenna systems, architecture, technologies, and techniques for all space applications, including space vehicle TT&C and user segment terminals, sub-millimetre wave instruments and associated technologies, as well as antenna engineering, and RF testing of antenna and materials;
• RF technologies and RF equipment, also including vacuum electronics and high-power RF phenomena (multipactor, corona and passive intermodulation);
• RF Payload digital equipment, and on-board Payload Signal and Data Processing algorithms and techniques for RF payloads and instruments in close collaboration with TEC-ED; and
• Time and frequency references, modelling, design tools, measurements, performance characterisation and calibration techniques.

The Antennas and Sub-millimeter Waves Section provides functional support to ESA projects in all the application directorates and carries out technological research (R&D) in the field(s) of space antenna systems, submillimetre wave instruments and associated technologies. 

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Matching network design of unbalanced antennas

In several ESA missions like JUICE or EnVision very low frequency dipole antennas are used to study the surface and subsurface structure of planets and moons. These antennas are unbalanced systems and, therefore, require the design of a full matching network, including the balun (balanced to unbalanced) system. Developing knowledge in this topic is fully in line with the needs of ESA and will allow the student to develop skill in handling the industry standard EM tools like CST or Ansys and perform design and simulation work with real space antenna models.

In particular, the work could include (but not necessarily limited to):

• Literature review of baluns and matching networks;
• Simulation of unbalanced antennas including the matching network;
• Impact of the spacecraft body and solar panels in the antenna design;
• Optimization based on actual space models.

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 a university course at Master’s level and you need to remain 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 Member State language would be an asset.

Knowledge and background in antennas and electromagnetics is an asset.