Job profile 3 of 8 · Example: ESA ESOC, Darmstadt
Flight dynamics: steering probes through space to within 1 kilometre
Flight dynamics teams determine trajectories, plan manoeuvres and compute the attitude of spacecraft, for every ESA mission15. They locate a probe 150 million kilometres away to within less than 1 kilometre15.
Free, no sign-up, every statement with a source.
01 · Research
What is researched here: precision across 150 million kilometres
For deep space, 2 stations of ESA's network measure at the same time, for example Cebreros and Malargüe. The position is then known to within less than 1 kilometre at distances of up to 150 million kilometres15.
A near-Earth satellite that ESA cites as an example flies through an imaginary tube only 120 metres wide, at 7.45 kilometres per second15.
The calculations use GODOT, ESOC's flight dynamics software. It is a software library, more like TensorFlow or PyTorch than a finished program. Companies and universities in ESA member states may use it for free16.
02 · End product
The end product: manoeuvres that bring probes to their target
The ESOC teams invented, prepared and flew JUICE's double gravity assist15. They use GODOT for JUICE, Hera, Solar Orbiter and Euclid, among others16.
Hera reaches the asteroid Didymos in November 2026, 1 month earlier than planned68.
03 · Daily work
What the work looks like: 5 tasks from concept to the last command
- Predict and determine trajectories: where is the probe, where will it be?
- Prepare manoeuvres: when and how strongly the engine fires.
- Compute attitude: where the probe and its instruments point.
- Analyse measurements: from ground stations and from the probe itself.
- Pass on results: to the teams that fly the mission.
Tasks based on ESA's description of flight dynamics; the teams follow a mission from the first concept to the last command15.
Keywords from the sources
MIDAS is described as a Python project built on GODOT16.
04 · Your path
Your way in: 4 steps
HTL, computer science
Take maths seriously: flight dynamics is applied physics with a lot of calculation.
Bachelor
Computer science, physics or mathematics; programming remains your main tool.
Master
For example Space Sciences and Earth from Space in Graz, focus on satellite systems with navigation methods36.
Entry
As an ESA Graduate Trainee1 or at companies that may build their own solutions on GODOT16.
05 · Who is hiring?