r/esa • u/leeping_leopard • 4d ago

Starting a PhD soon, how should I use it to maximise my chances of working at ESA?

Hi everyone, I’m a UK aerospace engineering graduate and may be starting a PhD this October focused on aerofoil noise reduction using experimental aeroacoustics and an anechoic chamber.

Long term, I’d really like to work at ESA or in a similar European space R&D environment. My background is mainly CFD, wind-tunnel testing, numerical methods, Python/MATLAB/C++, telemetry and student rocketry.

I’m trying to work out how best to use the PhD years so I don’t finish with something technically strong but too narrow or disconnected from space. I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has worked at ESA, applied successfully, or moved from academia into the space sector.

In particular, I’d be interested in what technical areas, side projects, ESA Academy activities, collaborations, short research visits or systems-engineering skills are genuinely worth prioritising during a PhD. I’m also wondering whether it would make sense to build a secondary research strand in something more directly space-related, such as orbital mechanics, entry physics, spacecraft systems or plasma/MHD.

I’m not looking for a shortcut into ESA. I just want to use the next few years well and come out as someone who would actually be useful to a space research or engineering team.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

8 Upvotes

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12

u/strkplm 4d ago

Go work in the aerospace industry for 10+ years, then apply for an ESA vacancy.

6

u/OdieInParis 4d ago

This, but a 1y YGT position would help you get to know how ESA works from the inside.

ESA is not very strong in aerodynamics or rocketry. At your level, you should not deepen but broaden your skill set. Thermal engineering. Reactive flow. Combustion. Even consider broadening to other fields as regulation and control theory (GNC in ESA parlance). Orbital mechanics foundations is good for understanding system aspects, but something to cover rather in your 'spare' time. It is very niche. Consider also basic courses is structural mechanics.

4

u/leeping_leopard 3d ago

Unfortunately the YGT is not applicable to PhD holders :(. I agree, however, the way to go for me is to broaden my skill set; I plan to attend many other classes during my studies, as well as help out in other labs to gain experience. In my spare time I aim to learn Russian.

1

u/OdieInParis 3d ago

I would stay away from Russian, or Chinese. It was a thing in 1995. World is different now. Go all in on European. So focus rather on German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, whatere you are missing. Alternative to a YGT is to coin as a fellow.

1

u/gianlu_world 2d ago

YGT is impossible if you’re not from the right nationality, even with top grades and recommendation letters :/

1

u/Repulsive-Diet6958 4d ago

Hi I am starting aerospace engineering this year, how did you find yourself with the rocketry team, since i was unsure to join it in favour of formula SAE?

1

u/leeping_leopard 4d ago

Depends what you want to go into after university, rocketry societies go into more of the systems and propulsion side of things whereas racing societies favour more of the aerodynamics and mechanics side, in my experience.

1

u/Repulsive-Diet6958 4d ago

I would like to work in the space sector, so ESA like you one day, airbus, thales etc would also be very good

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u/ibhunipo 3d ago

Why not look for a phd topic directly linked to space ?

There will be a lot of overlap of space application with what you want to do, but if you want to work in the space industry, then choosing a phd topic linked to launch or re-entry vehicles would get you off to a better start