| | Student placements
ESA’s Internship Programme assists young people within its Member States interested in space and related areas. It helps them to meet their university requirements to carry out an internship as part of their degree course, and promotes their academic and professional development by placing them under the guidance of experienced professionals.
Numerous applications are received each year for this very popular programme, however ESA only has a limited number of internships available across the establishments. To be considered students should have the following backgrounds:
- University students preferably in the last two years of studies in the fields of mathematics, engineering, physics, science and information technology, but also in law, finance, etc…
- Students from technical institutions granting professional diplomas (for example the DUT or BTS from France, the Fachhochschule or Gesamthochschule from Germany or Ingeniero Tecnico from Spain)
Internships are available in a wide variety of disciplines and can be divided into:
Technical
space science, astronomy, mechanical and electrical engineering, telecommunications, Earth observation, aerospace engineering, navigation, microgravity research, spacecraft in orbit exploitation, tracking of satellites, processing and distribution of data from remote sensing satellites, information technology, etc.
Non-technical
legal, contract law, international affairs, communications/public relations, finance, human resources, etc.
Conditions
- Internships last from three to six months, preference being given to longer internships. In exceptional cases it may be possible to grant an internship of up to nine months in order to meet the specific requirements of an educational institution.
- Students are normally given one internship during their studies, however this can be split into two parts provided that the total duration does not exceed six months.
- Internships are unpaid, however a daily allowance may be granted of €20 for non-residents and €10 for residents. A non-resident is defined as someone living more than 50 km from the establishment.
- Interns have to provide their own health insurance, accident insurance and travel expenses.
- Interns are responsible for finding their own accommodation.
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How to apply
Please complete the application form ("application form for a training period") and send it to any of ESA's four main establishments at the addresses listed below. If you wish, you may also include a copy of your own C.V. and a letter of motivation explaining why you would like to work at ESA.
Our Internship Programme is extremely popular and places are filled very quickly, so it is important to submit your application in good time.
For applications destined for ESTEC, please use the following e-mail address: Students4estec@esa.int Please note that you may only apply between 1 September and 20 November. Any applications which are submitted before or after these dates will not be considered.
The deadline for accepting applications for student placements at ESTEC for 2010 has now expired. Please note that your application will not be considered if you have submitted it after 20 November 2009. Applications for 2011 can be submitted as of September 2010.
Due to circumstances beyond our control please note that the Internship programme at ESA HQ has been suspended for 2010. Please do not send any applications to ESA Headquarters and note that any applications submitted since the current application procedure started in September 2009 will not be taken into account. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and hope to be able to welcome students again in 2011.
To apply for internships at ESAC, please follow the link ESAC Trainee Project.
Deadline for applications is 5 February 2010.
For applications destined for ESOC, please use the following e-mail address: Students4esoc@esa.int
For applications destined for ESRIN, please use the following e-mail address: Students4esrin@esa.int
Applications for ESTEC, ESOC and ESRIN will only be considered if they are sent by e-mail. We regret that we are unable to accept paper applications.
In general, technical opportunities are available at ESTEC, ESOC (except mechanical internship only available at ESTEC) and ESRIN. A limited number of non-technical opportunities are available at all establishments, but mainly at HQ in Paris.
ESTEC
Attn: Margaret Hendriks
Students4estec@esa.int
ESOC
Students4esoc@esa.int
ESRIN
Attn: Lucia Allori
Students4esrin@esa.int
ESAC
students4esac@esa.int
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