Internship – Spaceship ECSAT Team

About the role

The European Space Agency (ESA) is seeking motivated interns to join the Spaceship ECSAT team at the ESA European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) in Harwell, UK. Interns will support cutting‑edge research on low‑TRL technologies for future cislunar missions, lunar surface activities, and human‑robotic exploration.

Key responsibilities

• Assist in projects exploring Virtual and Augmented Reality applications for space exploration.
• Support collaborative robotics experiments and prototype development.
• Contribute to studies on Space Resources and In‑Situ Resource Utilisation concepts.
• Help maintain and operate the VULCAN analogue sample facility for material simulants.
• Document findings and prepare presentations for internal and external audiences.

Required profile

• Current enrolment in a UK university (undergraduate or postgraduate) in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline.
• Strong interest in space exploration, robotics, or immersive technologies.
• Eligibility to work in the UK (UK citizen, pre‑settled status, or student visa).

Required skills

• Virtual Reality
• Augmented Reality
• Robotics

What we offer

• Hands‑on experience within a multidisciplinary ESA research team.
• Opportunity to contribute to ESA’s future exploration missions.
• Access to state‑of‑the‑art facilities and mentorship from senior scientists.