Mission Analyst – Spaceflight Dynamics

About the role

The Mission Analyst will work in the Mission Analysis Section of the Flight Dynamics Division at ESOC, Darmstadt. Reporting to the Head of Section, you will support the design and operation of terrestrial, lunar, minor‑body and interplanetary missions, focusing on trajectory optimisation and attitude‑related aspects.

Key responsibilities

• Perform and coordinate mission analysis activities for projects, studies and industrial partners.
• Develop and maintain generic mission analysis methods and software, and create mission‑specific analysis tools.
• Analyse transfer and operational orbits, optimise low‑ and high‑thrust propulsion trajectories, and compute launch windows and atmospheric entry paths.
• Conduct propellant budget, orbit‑determination, navigation, planetary protection and space‑debris mitigation studies.
• Support satellite‑constellation and formation‑flight analyses.
• Provide technical leadership for work packages delivered by internal and external service teams.
• Represent the Agency in committees, conferences and tender evaluations.

Required profile

• Strong background in aerospace, astrodynamics or a related engineering discipline.
• Ability to supervise and develop complex software tools for mission analysis.
• Open‑minded, technically well‑informed and proactive in identifying innovative solutions.
• Willingness to collaborate with scientists, industry partners, flight‑dynamics teams and subsystem engineers.

Required skills

• Trajectory optimisation
• Orbit determination and navigation analysis
• Propulsion trajectory analysis (low‑ and high‑thrust)
• Atmospheric entry and launch‑window computation
• Planetary protection and space‑debris mitigation
• Satellite‑constellation and formation‑flight analysis

What we offer

• Opportunity to work on cutting‑edge space missions for a leading space agency.
• Access to state‑of‑the‑art facilities and interdisciplinary teams.
• Professional development in advanced astrodynamics and flight‑dynamics technologies.