System Performance Intern

Pangea Propulsion; Toulouse; On-site; EUR 12,000 - 19,000; Full time

Job summary

Pangea Propulsion in Toulouse is seeking a motivated System Performance Intern to join our team. During a six-month internship, you will support system-level design, modelling and performance analysis for Kronos full-flow staged-combustion rocket engines.

You will work with engineers across combustion, fluidics, turbomachinery to connect engine requirements with cycle modelling and subsystem performance. The role requires a MSc in Aerospace Engineering or equivalent, solid fundamentals in

Qualifications

• MSc in Aerospace Engineering or equivalent.
• Experience with numerical modelling and analysis.
• Strong fundamentals in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
• Understanding of liquid rocket propulsion and rocket-engine cycles.
• Ability to analyze coupled systems and interpret simulation results.
• Basic programming in Python and/or MATLAB.

Responsibilities

• Develop, modify and run system-level engine models in EcosimPro/ESPSS.
• Analyse nominal operating points and engine envelopes.
• Support engine-cycle optimisation and system design trade-offs.
• Perform sensitivity studies on design and operating parameters.
• Translate results into conclusions, maps and envelopes.
• Maintain System Performance documentation for design reviews.
• Collaborate with combustion, fluidics and turbomachinery to integrate evolving subsystem designs.

Skills

Numerical modelling

Python

MATLAB

Thermodynamics

Fluid mechanics

Heat transfer

Education

MSc in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

EcosimPro/ESPSS

Job description

About Pangea Propulsion:

We are a company dedicated to developing advanced propulsion systems for the space industry based on three key principles: high efficiency, sustainability, and reusability. We are revolutionizing the space industry with ground-breaking innovations that allow us to offer the best performance to cost propulsion systems. Our goal is to be the propulsion provider for the next generation of spacecraft, which is essential to meet demands and compete in the booming space market of the next decade. We are a passionate, multicultural, and multidisciplinary team pushing the boundaries of what is possible in space propulsion technology.

We have already made history by successfully testing the world's first 3D-printed Methalox Aerospike engine, marking a significant milestone for the space industry. We are looking for talented professionals to join our international teams in Barcelona and Toulouse.

We want to be a key player in improving diversity in the Aerospace sector as, in Pangea, we believe that diversity (gender, age, race, sexual orientation, beliefs, disability, culture, etc.) is a key to success. Within Pangea, everyone can grow with the same opportunities. Individually we are different, but together we are an amazing team!

We are looking for a System Performance Intern in Toulouse.

About the role:

We are seeking a motivated System Performance Intern to join our System Performance team in Toulouse. During this six-month internship, you will support system-level design, modelling and performance analysis activities for Kronos full-flow staged-combustion rocket engines. You will work closely with System Performance engineers and specialists in combustion, fluidics, turbomachinery and other disciplines to connect engine requirements and design choices with cycle modelling, subsystem characteristics and overall engine performance. You will be involved in the development and execution of engine models, investigating nominal, throttled and off-nominal operating conditions, and assessing how evolving subsystem designs influence the complete propulsion system. The work will include sensitivity studies, design trade-offs and support to the definition of operating and control strategies. This internship requires strong fundamentals in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, an understanding of liquid rocket-engine cycles, and the ability to interpret numerical results critically rather than treating simulation tools as black boxes. You will contribute to transient analyses covering start-up, throttling and shutdown, and consolidate results into engineering conclusions, performance maps, operating envelopes, subsystem requirements and technical documentation for design reviews.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, modify and execute system-level engine models in EcosimPro/ESPSS.
• Analyse nominal operating points and engine operational envelopes, including throttled and off-nominal conditions.
• Support engine-cycle optimisation and system-level design trade-offs.
• Perform sensitivity studies on key design and operational parameters.
• Translate simulation results into engineering conclusions, performance maps, operating envelopes and subsystem requirements.
• Support preparation and maintenance of System Performance documentation for project design reviews.
• Work with combustion, fluidics, turbomachinery and other disciplines to integrate evolving subsystem designs into the system model.

What you need to be successful:

• MSc in Aerospace Engineering or equivalent, preferably with a background in propulsion, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, energy systems or numerical modelling.
• Experience with numerical modelling and engineering analysis through academic or professional projects.
• Strong fundamentals in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
• Understanding of liquid rocket propulsion and the fundamental operation of rocket-engine cycles.
• Ability to analyse coupled engineering systems and critically interpret simulation results.
• Basic programming or engineering scripting capability, preferably Python and/or MATLAB.

Soft Skills:

• Strong analytical problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate technical results clearly in English through documentation and presentations.
• You are expected to work in a structured and analytical manner, communicate your results clearly, and progressively take ownership of defined modelling and analysis tasks while receiving guidance from experienced engineers.

Other useful skills:

• Experience with EcosimPro/ESPSS or another 0D/1D system-simulation environment.
• Knowledge of staged-combustion or full-flow staged-combustion rocket-engine cycles.
• Understanding of turbopumps, turbines, pre-burners, combustion chambers, regenerative cooling circuits, valves and feed systems.
• Experience with transient simulation, controls or system dynamics.
• Experience with sensitivi