Product Assurance Awareness Training Course 2024 now open for applications
In brief
The ESA Education Office is announcing the 5th edition of the Product Assurance Awareness Training Course which will take place between 21 – 25 October 2024 at ESA’s Training and Learning Facility in ESEC-Galaxia, Transinne, Belgium.
This course was developed in collaboration with ESA’s Product Assurance and Safety Department and will equip 30 University students with knowledge in Product Assurance (PA). Experts will teach how this knowledge is implemented in a space project not only in ESA but also in the Space Industry.
In-depth
PA engineers are a crucial part of mission implementation. They are responsible for ensuring that the design is robust and reliable, and the product are compliant to mission, system and product assurance requirements. They also check that materials, mechanical parts, processes, and electrical components used in spacecraft and launchers are fit for purpose over the entire lifetime of the mission.
Given the nature and importance of this role, ESA’s PA engineers are required to have a different mentality than the other team members. While “thinking outside the box” is a cliché for some people, it is absolutely essential for PA engineers. These engineers need exceptionally high levels of perception, forethought, and imagination to anticipate problems and pre-emptively save missions from failure.
This course is designed to attract the next generation of students into these vital positions. Run by ESA’s current PA managers and discipline experts, it allows the students to discover, through interactive lectures, how PA is an integral part of engineering activities, playing a role in the development, design, test philosophy, building, and operation of systems. The trainers also instil in students the unique ethos at the heart of every successful PA engineer. Participants will also be exposed to the PA perspectives and experiences from the Space Industry.
Finally, the students will work on group projects to apply their PA knowledge on real cases, which they will then present to the experts as part of their evaluation.
Preliminary Schedule:
| Day 1 |
Welcome and Introduction Overall context of Space Projects General Introduction to the Course R&D Activities and Technology Development Quality Management and Assurance |
| Day 2 |
Quality Management and Assurance Dependability and Safety Supply Chain Management |
| Day 3 |
Software Product Assurance EEE Components |
| Day 4 |
Materials & Processes Radiation Hardness Assurance |
| Day 5 |
Product Assurance in Space Business ESA Certification Schemes Conclusion |
Upon completion of the training course, students will be evaluated based on their group project and will receive a certificate of participation and a course transcript, allowing them to claim ECTS credit(s) from their respective universities.
Who can apply?
To participate, students must fulfil the following criteria at the time of application:
- 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 engineering or space-related topics;
- be a citizen of an ESA Member State, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia or Slovenia;
- be enrolled as a MSc (BSc completed) or PhD student in a university (not graduating before the training course);
- be studying an engineering or scientific subject with a clear interest in Product Assurance;
Exceptions could be made for students enrolled in a scientific degree with a minimum engineering knowledge and a clear interest in the management and implementation aspects of space projects.
Selected students will be requested to attend the entire 5-day training course at ESEC-Galaxia. They will be sponsored by ESA to cover accommodation and meals, as well as up to 300 Euros for travelling to and from Belgium.
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 tlp@esa.int to get assistance or advice during the application process.
How to apply:
- Fill in the application form;
- Upload a motivation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, no images);
- Upload a CV (Europass format, PDF, maximum 2 pages);
- Upload a formal recommendation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, including signature, no images) from a university professor or academic supervisor of current university; (if it is not possible to receive the recommendation letter from your referee, 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 graded academic year (PDF).
All answers and documents should be in English (Transcript of Grades can be submitted in the language of the hosting university, if unavailable in English).
* Canadian students enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution may apply for additional support from the Canadian Space Agency through this Announcement of Opportunity (grant applications must be submitted at least 7 weeks before the course delivery and account creation 3 weeks before the deadline). This additional support is to cover costs that are not already covered by ESA for selected Canadian post-secondary students.
The deadline for applications is 12 August 2024 23:59 CEST.
For more information, please contact tlp@esa.int