Space Situational Awareness Intern & MSc Thesis

OKAPI: Orbits; Germany (OH); Hybrid; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Training budgets

Company-wide events

Job summary

A space technology company is seeking an intern in Space Engineering. You will work on various topics such as orbit determination and space debris modelling. Candidates must be enrolled in a relevant program and exhibit strong knowledge of orbital mechanics. Flexibility in work hours and location (remote/hybrid) is provided. Enjoy a strong company culture with opportunities for growth and social activities.

Qualifications

• Relocate to Brunswick with a valid working permit.
• Enrolled as a student in a relevant study program.
• Strong knowledge of orbital mechanics.
• Exceptional academic track record.
• Independent working style.
• Intermediate English (at least B2).

Responsibilities

• Contribute to orbit determination.
• Work on covariance realism tasks.
• Engage in atmospheric modelling efforts.
• Assist in conjunction risk assessment.
• Optimize maneuvers.
• Detect maneuvers and extract patterns.
• Model space debris environments.

Skills

Orbit determination

Covariance realism

Atmospheric modelling

Conjunction risk assessment

Maneuver optimization

Maneuver detection and pattern extraction

Space debris environment modelling

Analytical thinking

Programming in Fortran, Python, and Java

Education

BSc or MSc in Space Engineering

Job description

Your mission

Join us in shaping the future of safe and sustainable space operations. At OKAPI Orbits, we develop innovative technologies and data-driven solutions to protect the space environment and empower decision-makers across the space industry. Whether you're building intelligent software, analyzing orbital dynamics, or designing user-friendly tools, your work will contribute to minimizing risks, enhancing operational safety, and enabling responsible space exploration for generations to come.

Please note that the internship needs to be part of your university curriculum.

Your tasks and responsibilities

We have a variety of topics in which you can contribute. Some of them are:

• Orbit determination
• Covariance realism
• Atmospheric modelling
• Conjunction risk assessment
• Maneuver optimization
• Maneuver detection and pattern extraction
• Space debris environment modelling

Your profile

Must haves:

• Possibility to relocate to Brunswick from within the EEA with a valid working permit
• Enrolled student (BSc or MSc) in a study program related to Space Engineering
• Strongknowledge of orbital mechanics
• Exceptional academic track record
• Independent working style
• English intermediate (at least B2)

Nice to have:

• Proven analytical thinking through past research projects
• Programming experience in Fortran,Python and/or Java

Why us?

• With a lean hierarchy and small working groups, you define your own way of work including flexible work hours.
• Work on groundbreaking space sustainability challenges with a team of top-tier engineers and scientists.
• After your on-boarding time in Braunschweig, you can choose between staying in our office, working remote (within Germany) or a hybrid approach.
• Enjoy technical freedom. Influence system architecture, research methodologies, and data integration approaches.
• Grow continuously with access to training budgets, industry conferences, and networking opportunities.
• Be part of a strong engineering culture,with regular knowledge-sharing sessions, technical deep dives, and innovation sprints.
• Great team spirit, with company-wide events such as monthly all-hands lunches, and social activities like laser tag, dinners, and team-building outings.