Hear from Vidushi Jain, YGT for SMILE

Tell us a little about yourself
I was always fascinated by the idea of space and wanted to be a part of a programme that would be professional in nature. Hence, I chose to do space engineering as my undergraduate degree. Doing various activities in research and development and working on a small satellite mission encouraged me to apply for my graduate studies. I finished my undergraduate and graduate studies in Canada and moved to Germany for my YGT placement.

What encouraged you to apply to become an ESA YGT?
In summer 2017, when I had just started my Master’s programme, I was looking for motivation with regards to my thesis. I then picked up an ESA Academy course that would allow me expand my knowledge in the space sector. In the initial briefing at the Academy I learned about the YGT Programme and I set my mind to applying to it at the end of my Master’s.

What does your role at ESA entail?
At ESA I am a YGT in the SMILE lab at ESOC. The SMILE lab focuses on small satellite missions and is a lab environment for universities and teams in Europe to use ground infrastructure to validate and operate their satellites. I support teams in using SMILE equipment and we are constantly working on making improvements to our hardware and software to provide better services to small satellite developers and users in Europe.

What is working at ESA like, for you?
Working at ESA has been a huge learning curve. I was able to realise the difference of being involved in a project as a customer as opposed to a project in a university research and development environment. Everything you do at ESA is highly professional and customer interaction is key. I was able to learn how to build customer relations, have technical conversations and provide a service.

Which ESA establishment are you located at?
I am located at ESOC, which is the ESA operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany. As Darmstadt is a university town, I found it very easy to meet people through Facebook groups and make friends. The city is also very connected and it is fairly easy to travel to other countries in Europe. The international airport is only 25 minutes away, which makes it very convenient for visiting home.

What is your best memory so far as a YGT?
To be honest, it is hard to come up with one memory. Everything was a huge learning curve and, for me personally, struggling with something for a while and then seeing it in operation is a feeling beyond explanation. I was involved with BINAR project, which was a small satellite Australian mission. I oversaw the operations and validation for the mission using the ground station at ESOC. We struggled a lot in order to get the antenna functioning for the launch. Going through the testing campaign, getting SMILE ready for operations and finally being able to conduct them will be a memory I cherish.

What has been the biggest challenge for you?
The biggest challenge I would say that I faced was the concept of moving to a new country during the pandemic and being unable to work on site. Since the YGT Programme is a stepping stone into the industry for most graduates, I really wanted the experience of working on site and to absorb the working atmosphere of a very highly recognised agency. I was able to work with my manager and work on site when I wanted and was able to be involved in some hands-on project in SMILE.

What advice do you have for future YGT applicants?
My advice to future YGT would be to make friends in the city you are appointed at. Meeting new people can really make adjusting easier. Everyone at ESA is really friendly and very easy to talk to. There is a lot of coffee you are going to grab, especially when you are new – so if you aren't already a coffee lover, you will become one!

Hear from YGTs

Want to learn more about the work ESA YGTs are doing today? Keep reading about other YGTs and their exciting projects in this two-part article (part one and part two).

How do I apply for a YGT opportunity?

1. Explore our Young Graduate Trainee opportunities here.
2. Select the one opportunity that genuinely interests you and fits best with your educational background. Due to the high number of applications received each year, we can only accept a maximum of two applications per person. Should you apply to more vacancies, all your applications will be disregarded. If your profile is of interest for another position, we will share it with the hiring manager.
3. Register and create your candidate profile with your CV and motivation letter.
4. Apply! You will be able to track the status of your application throughout the process.

Learn more about the YGT Programme.