ESA to train Lucan native
By William O'Connor
LUCAN scientist Eoin O’Neill has been selected to join the traineeship programme at the European Space Agency (ESA) following a competitive national process.
The coveted positions are part of an ongoing partnership between the Irish Research Council and ESA, which hosts Irish trainees at its centres across Europe.
At the European Space Agency (ESA) European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany were Eoin O’Neill from Lucan and Eoin Tuohy from Wicklow
As part of the programme, the scientists will work on cutting-edge projects and gain practical experience in high-tech space activities such as: space science, Earth observation, telecommunications, naviga-tion, mission control and operations, and human spaceflight.
UCD graduates Eoin O’Neill from Lucan and Eoin Tuohy from Wicklow will join ESA centres in Germany.
Eoin O’Neill will join the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany on a project focusing on artificial intelligence and data analytics for space operations.
The team are developing prototypes and novel applications to support space operations tasks, such as early detection, diagnostics, forecasting and planning, using AI technology.
The ESOC serves as the main mission control centre for ESA and is home to the engineering teams that control spacecraft in orbit, manage the global tracking station network, and design and build the systems on the ground that support missions in space.
Speaking about his traineeship, Eoin said: “I’ve always been passionate about space, so the chance to be a trainee at the European Space Agency is a fantastic opportunity both personally and professionally.
It will be the beginning of what will hopefully be a long career in the space industry, and I hope that I will be able to contribute what I learn during my time as a trainee to the Irish space industry in the future.”
