Spacecraft Testing Workshop open for Applications

Immerse yourself in the intricacies of spacecraft testing with the Spacecraft Testing Workshop, a remarkable opportunity tailored for university students with backgrounds in engineering and science. Led by European Space Agency experts, this workshop offers an unparalleled insight into the meticulous processes ensuring satellite functionality in space.

Throughout the workshop, selected students will engage in lectures delivered by ESA experts covering diverse topics, including product assurance, systems engineering, and essential environmental testing methods applied to spacecraft.

The highlights of the workshop are the hands-on activities. Participants will have the extraordinary chance to apply their newfound theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios. At the CubeSat Support Facility, students will conduct a genuine hardware environmental test utilizing a specially designed educational test unit facilitated by the ESA Education Office.

In the group project phase, students will collaborate in teams to orchestrate a comprehensive environmental test campaign, encompassing vibration or thermal vacuum testing. From defining test requirements to assembling and testing dummy hardware, participants will undergo a transformative hands-on experience, familiarizing themselves with industry-standard approaches for spacecraft validation and verification.

As the workshop culminates, each group will present their findings to a panel of ESA experts, and thus bringing them closer to their future endeavours in the space industry. Don't miss this unparalleled opportunity to deepen your understanding of spacecraft testing and forge connections with leading figures in the field.

Students will be introduced to the following topics: 

Day 1	- Space Systems Engineering - Space Project Testing - Assembly Integration and Testing Product Assurance: Every Failure is a Lesson!
Day 2	- Mechanical Environment & Vibration Testing - Thermal Environment & Thermal Vacuum Testing - Verification Planning - Assembly and Test Procedure Preparation
Day 3	- Cleanliness and Contamination Control - Functional and Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing - Assembly and Test Procedure Preparation (continued) - Assembly / Setup
Day 4	- Thermal Vacuum Chamber - In-Orbit Testing - Vibration Test - Data Analysis
Day 5	- Data Analysis (continued) - To Radiation Testing…& Beyond! - Inspirational Lecture - Group project: test reporting and discussion

Who can apply?

To participate, students must fulfil the following eligibility criteria at the time of application: 

• Enrolled as a university student for the year 2023-2024 in a Bachelor (i.e., BSc or equivalent), Master (i.e., MSc or equivalent), or a Doctoral (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) degree programme with a background in engineering or science.
• Aged minimum 18 years old.  ESA Academy and relevant partners will only appraise applications from students who have no or limited professional experience in relevant scientific or other space-related topics.
• Citizen of an ESA Member State, an ESA Associate Member (Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia or Slovenia) or Canada*.

ESA is committed to achieving diversity and creating an inclusive professional environment. To this end, we welcome proposals and applications from all eligible candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. The ESA Academy strongly encourages inclusiveness within its programmes and within participating teams, which contributes to the enrichment of our programme.  

 Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support, either digitally or at the location of the training. In case of any questions or specific needs, please reach out to esa.academy@esa.int to get assistance or advice during the application process.

Attendance to the entire 5-day training course on-site at ESEC is mandatory. Accommodation, meals, as well as up to 300 EUR for travelling to Belgium will be covered by ESA Education.

To enhance the learning experience, students will actively engage in a group project work throughout the week to apply their newly acquired knowledge. Upon successful completion, participants will be awarded a certificate of participation and a course transcript, enabling them to request ECTS credit(s) from their respective universities.

How to apply?

• Fill in the application form.
• Upload a motivation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, no images).
• Upload a CV (Europass format, PDF, no images, maximum 2 pages).
• Upload a formal recommendation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, including signature, no images) from a university professor or an academic supervisor from your current university (if not possible to receive the recommendation letter from your reference, please ask them to send a recommendation email to tlp@esa.int before the application deadline).
• Upload a copy of your Transcript of Grades from the two previous semesters, or, if not available, the previous academic year (PDF).

All answers and documents should be in English (except Transcript of Grades if not available). The deadline for applications to participate in the Spacecraft Testing Workshop 2024 is 26 April 2024, 23:59 CET.

*Canadian students enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution may apply for additional support from the Canadian Space Agency through this Announcement of Opportunity. This additional support is to cover costs that are not already covered by ESA for selected Canadian post-secondary students.

For more information, please contact: tlp@esa.int.