Hear from Alena Truntzer, YGT for JUICE Flight Operations

Tell us a little about yourself
Hello, my name is Alena Truntzer and I am a YGT in the JUICE (Jupiter and Icy Moons Explorer) Flight Control Team (FCT). I am from France and I studied at ISAE-ENSMA (École Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et d’Aérotechnique), near Poitiers. Currently I am in my second year of the traineeship, my placement having been extended for another year.

What encouraged you to apply to become an ESA YGT?
I found out about the ESA YGT Programme after my graduation. I had already started to work in the space industry and was getting some valuable experience in the aeronautic and aerospace fields. This helped me to define the scope of the professional activities I wanted to pursue in my career and also confirmed my strong interest in spaceflight operations. Therefore, the YGT position in the JUICE Flight Control Team was the perfect fit for me and I had absolutely no hesitation when it came to applying. This position gives a remarkable opportunity to work on one of the largest interplanetary missions and as a young graduate, I couldn’t miss it!

What does your role at ESA entail?
The baseline launch for the JUICE mission is scheduled for 2023. The FCT is responsible for in-flight operations with the current emphasis on LEOP (Low Earth Orbit Phase), NECP (Near Earth Orbit Phase) and early Cruise spacecraft activities. One of the key aspects of the launch preparation is the test and validation campaigns focused on confirming the readiness of the Ground Segment to support the JUICE mission. My tasks mostly consist of developing operational concepts and products in the frame of these campaigns: writing and validating the procedures, defining and executing the tests for some of the spacecraft platform subsystems and payloads, documenting the results and working on a joint issues analysis along with the industry or payload teams. I am responsible for two payloads operations and I support AOCS (Attitude and Orbit Control System) related activities.

What is working at ESA like, for you?
For me, ESA offers a challenging and highly inspiring working environment. JUICE launch preparation gathers a dynamic variety of tasks and our team works in a broad range of disciplines. I particularly enjoy the fact that my YGT position gives me a great balance between the technical training I gain from working with my colleagues and a level of autonomy that allows me to build skills and knowledge independently.

Which ESA establishment are you located at?
I am located at ESOC (European Space Operations Centre) in Darmstadt, Germany. ESOC is responsible for the operation of all ESA missions and manages the ESA ground stations network. Unfortunately, COVID regulations have made it difficult to enjoy the full potential of this centre, including various non-professional activities and events offered by clubs, so I’m hoping to be able to make the most of those in the near future!

What is your best memory so far as a YGT?
The testing campaigns begin with the execution of the operational procedures on the Engineering Model of the spacecraft. As the integration progresses, we run more complex flight representative scenarios on the actual JUICE spacecraft, the Flight Model. The first testing activities on the JUICE Flight model were performed in November 2021 and lasted for two days with a testing time of 20 hours per day. The Flight Control Team was organised in two shifts, each 10 hours long. I consider this to be the most outstanding memory so far, as we commanded the Flight Model for the very first time. In addition, for this testing campaign the Flight Control Team from ESOC, industry representatives from Airbus Defence and Space and the Project representatives from ESTEC were all present in the Control Room to work together. Thus, while challenging, the testing campaigns are also some of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of the pre-launch activities. I am looking forward to future campaigns, which will get more and more stimulating as the launch gets closer!

What has been the biggest challenge for you?
For me, the biggest challenge was to start contributing rapidly and efficiently to the JUICE FCT activities, increasing my learning curve exponentially. With the pre-launch planning and the exciting testing campaigns approaching, I wanted to make the most of my YGT experience by acquiring the necessary knowledge promptly and participating fully in the pre-launch preparations.

What advice do you have for future YGT applicants?
I would definitely advise to choose the position that strikes the best balance between your aspirations and your past experiences such as internships, personal projects and professional activities. Highlight your application’s value in the motivation letter. And also, if you were not successful in the previous YGT call, don’t hesitate to try again if you have spotted a good position for you!

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.