Space training team – Astronaut Training Database (ATD) software development support

Our Team and Mission

The European Space Agency (ESA) runs numerous training programmes for personnel involved in human spaceflight, including astronauts, mission developers, engineers, instructors and many other positions. The organisers, instructors and trainees involved in these courses are distributed across several sites around Europe and other partner nations around the world. Additionally, the individuals involved also come from numerous different technical backgrounds.

In order to support the complex development and implementation of these courses, a software system was developed called the Astronaut Training database (ATD). This system is now used to organise, document, and maintain all the training courses related to human spaceflight.

The ATD is a key component of the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) Space Training Team Infrastructure. It provides cross-platform round the clock operational support to various end users located around the world.

Activities and Learning Areas

The ATD software suite integrates a number of modules for training design, development, implementation, evaluation, administration, management and quality control.  It supports the following operational duties and processes:

• Instructional System Development processes
• Training management and administration processes
• Training delivery / event coordination processes
• Maintenance of an up-to-date repository for training curricula, training plans and schedules, certification data, training records and supporting information 

Over the years, the ATD database has accumulated a vast amount of structured and unstructured data, including several forms of transactional, scheduling, instructional and multimedia information. In addition, the ATD codebase has evolved in an ongoing process of updating the software, hardware and infrastructure to adopt emerging technologies, changing business needs and security constraints. 

The ATD project now seeks support for the definition and implementation of a technology stack update roadmap.

Specific Duties

Selected candidates will perform the following duties:

• Familiarisation with the ATD system architecture, database and technical documentation
• Familiarisation with the software development and operational environment
• Identify areas of improvement across the entire ATD system, especially on security aspects/vulnerabilities
• Support the implementation of existing vulnerability remediation plans
• Support the definition and implementation of the ATD Technology update roadmap
• Support implementation of mobile hybrid application
• Support the definition of architectural changes to compartmentalise data and functionality for different training projects

Competencies and skills

An educational background in software engineering or computer sciences is required, with specific skills in:

• Back-end / Front-end programming languages and frameworks used in the ATD project: ASP.Net, .Net Core, HTML, JavaScript, MS Visual Studio
• Practical experience with database management system and database administration used in the ATD project: MS SQL Server, T-SQL
• Practical experience in web-mobile hybrid application development
• Practical experience in IT security would be an asset
• Practical experience in web application framework software / Front-end web development would be an asset

Applications are open until 11 July 2025.

Click here to apply: Intern in the Space Training Team, Astronaut Training Database (ATD) development (CAVES & PANGAEA) Job Details | ESA