Radio Science & Orbit Determination Researcher/Developer (Tudat)

Job description

We are seeking a researcher/developer to combine core development of the TU Delft Astrodynamics Toolbox (Tudat) with radio-science application development for the development of an open science spaceflight dynamics infrastructure. The goal is to enable high-fidelity orbit propagation and estimation from real tracking data (Doppler, range, VLBI, etc.) for planetary missions. Additional work packages in the same project will focus on space situational awareness and solar system dynamics.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain Tudat’s C++ core and Python interfaces, ensuring performance, robustness, and long-term maintainability.
• Implement and validate extensions and improvements to radio-science estimation pipelines, including observation models, dynamical models, and mission-specific configuration.
• Extend relevant background models in Tudat (gravity variations, radiation pressure, atmosphere, spacecraft dynamics) and interfaces for mission data ingestion.
• Lead the application of the framework to selected missions and representative datasets, including defining validation cases, producing reference results, and coordinating scientific priorities with project partners.
• Contribute to scientific publications describing the platform and demonstrating scientific results enabled by the radio-science workflows and open-source toolchain.
• Build end-to-end workflows supporting FAIR and open science, including version-controlled analysis setups and consistent outputs.
• Write documentation, tutorials, and developer guides; support users via issue tracking and community channels.
• Collaborate closely with platform developers and scientists across TU Delft and partner institutes.

Job requirements

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Astronomy or similar
• Strong software engineering skills in C++ and Python, as well as git, CI, testing, code review, etc.
• Strong background and research experience in astrodynamics/orbit determination and numerical methods.
• Experience in the usage and development of Tudat is a strong plus. Experience in usage and development of Tudat or a similar tool is required.
• Experience with radio tracking data analysis or planetary mission spacecraft dynamics is a strong plus.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary, open-source environment.

TU Delft
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Aerospace Engineering
The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is a leading international community where innovation in aerospace meets global challenges. Our support and scientific staff, including PhD candidates, postdocs, and students, largely work together on three main themes: the energy transition, sustainable aerospace, and safety and security, with the aim of tackling climate change and contributing to the independence and security of Europe.

When you join us, you become part of a diverse, collaborative, and forward-thinking environment where your ideas and perspectives are valued. Our work extends beyond the lab—into field labs, innovation hubs, and partnerships with other faculties, research institutes, governments, and industry, both locally and globally.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming workplace, assisted by an active Diversity & Inclusion team. This includes tangible support such as funding for extra personnel for family and caregiving responsibilities, mentoring programmes, and initiatives that promote cultural exchange and integration.

You don’t just join our faculty — you join a community where you can thrive, grow, and help shape the future of aerospace.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

PhD Position Application of Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to strengthen the scientific exploitation of PRIDE (Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment) observations by developing and applying open, reproducible analysis pipelines for deep-space mission tracking. You will be embedded in the PRIDE collaboration and contribute directly to enhancing the scientific return of past, current, and upcoming planetary missions, including the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE).

A core element of the position is the use and extension of the TU Delft Astrodynamics Toolbox (Tudat) open-source astrodynamics toolbox for state estimation and orbit/parameter determination, enabling rigorous fusion of PRIDE observables with conventional radiometric tracking data. Your work will bridge radio data analysis, planetary science, and software development, and will directly contribute to improving the accuracy, traceability, and accessibility of advanced orbit determination methods for the broader community.

Key responsibilities

• Process, calibrate, and characterize PRIDE open-loop Doppler and phase-referenced VLBI observables.
• Implement, validate, and document workflows to integrate PRIDE data into least-squares orbit determination and parameter estimation using Tudat, with an emphasis on transparency and reproducibility.
• Analyze combinations of PRIDE and classical radio science data to missions such as Mars Express, Venus Express, Juno, and JUICE, aiming to improve reconstructed spacecraft trajectories and enable higher-quality science products.
• Contribute to extending Tudat’s capabilities for PRIDE-relevant use cases (e.g., tracking observable handling, interfaces, estimation settings, and automated validation).
• Deliver high-quality, FAIR research outputs: curated datasets, clear documentation, peer-reviewed publications, and open-source software that can be reused by both the PRIDE collaboration and the wider astrodynamics and radio-science communities.

Job requirements

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Astronomy or similar.
• Strong software engineering skills in Python.
• Strong background and research experience in astrodynamics/orbit determination and numerical methods.
• Experience in usage of PRIDE data is a strong plus. Experience in usage of radio science data is a plus.
• Experience in the usage and development of Tudat is a strong plus. Experience in usage and development of Tudat or a similar tool is required.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary, open-source environment. .

TU Delft
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Aerospace Engineering
The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is a leading international community where innovation in aerospace meets global challenges. Our support and scientific staff, including PhD candidates, postdocs, and students, largely work together on three main themes: the energy transition, sustainable aerospace, and safety and security, with the aim of tackling climate change and contributing to the independence and security of Europe.

When you join us, you become part of a diverse, collaborative, and forward-thinking environment where your ideas and perspectives are valued. Our work extends beyond the lab—into field labs, innovation hubs, and partnerships with other faculties, research institutes, governments, and industry, both locally and globally.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming workplace, assisted by an active Diversity & Inclusion team. This includes tangible support such as funding for extra personnel for family and caregiving responsibilities, mentoring programmes, and initiatives that promote cultural exchange and integration.

You don’t just join our faculty — you join a community where you can thrive, grow, and help shape the future of aerospace.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

Radio Science & Orbit Determination Researcher/Developer (Tudat)

Job description

We are seeking a researcher/developer to combine core development of the TU Delft Astrodynamics Toolbox (Tudat) with radio-science application development for the development of an open science spaceflight dynamics infrastructure. The goal is to enable high-fidelity orbit propagation and estimation from real tracking data (Doppler, range, VLBI, etc.) for planetary missions. Additional work packages in the same project will focus on space situational awareness and solar system dynamics.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain Tudat’s C++ core and Python interfaces, ensuring performance, robustness, and long-term maintainability.
• Implement and validate extensions and improvements to radio-science estimation pipelines, including observation models, dynamical models, and mission-specific configuration.
• Extend relevant background models in Tudat (gravity variations, radiation pressure, atmosphere, spacecraft dynamics) and interfaces for mission data ingestion.
• Lead the application of the framework to selected missions and representative datasets, including defining validation cases, producing reference results, and coordinating scientific priorities with project partners.
• Contribute to scientific publications describing the platform and demonstrating scientific results enabled by the radio-science workflows and open-source toolchain.
• Build end-to-end workflows supporting FAIR and open science, including version-controlled analysis setups and consistent outputs.
• Write documentation, tutorials, and developer guides; support users via issue tracking and community channels.
• Collaborate closely with platform developers and scientists across TU Delft and partner institutes.

Job requirements

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Astronomy or similar
• Strong software engineering skills in C++ and Python, as well as git, CI, testing, code review, etc.
• Strong background and research experience in astrodynamics/orbit determination and numerical methods.
• Experience in the usage and development of Tudat is a strong plus. Experience in usage and development of Tudat or a similar tool is required.
• Experience with radio tracking data analysis or planetary mission spacecraft dynamics is a strong plus.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary, open-source environment.

TU Delft
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Aerospace Engineering
The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is a leading international community where innovation in aerospace meets global challenges. Our support and scientific staff, including PhD candidates, postdocs, and students, largely work together on three main themes: the energy transition, sustainable aerospace, and safety and security, with the aim of tackling climate change and contributing to the independence and security of Europe.

When you join us, you become part of a diverse, collaborative, and forward-thinking environment where your ideas and perspectives are valued. Our work extends beyond the lab—into field labs, innovation hubs, and partnerships with other faculties, research institutes, governments, and industry, both locally and globally.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming workplace, assisted by an active Diversity & Inclusion team. This includes tangible support such as funding for extra personnel for family and caregiving responsibilities, mentoring programmes, and initiatives that promote cultural exchange and integration.

You don’t just join our faculty — you join a community where you can thrive, grow, and help shape the future of aerospace.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

PhD Position Application of Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to strengthen the scientific exploitation of PRIDE (Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment) observations by developing and applying open, reproducible analysis pipelines for deep-space mission tracking. You will be embedded in the PRIDE collaboration and contribute directly to enhancing the scientific return of past, current, and upcoming planetary missions, including the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE).

A core element of the position is the use and extension of the TU Delft Astrodynamics Toolbox (Tudat) open-source astrodynamics toolbox for state estimation and orbit/parameter determination, enabling rigorous fusion of PRIDE observables with conventional radiometric tracking data. Your work will bridge radio data analysis, planetary science, and software development, and will directly contribute to improving the accuracy, traceability, and accessibility of advanced orbit determination methods for the broader community.

Key responsibilities

• Process, calibrate, and characterize PRIDE open-loop Doppler and phase-referenced VLBI observables.
• Implement, validate, and document workflows to integrate PRIDE data into least-squares orbit determination and parameter estimation using Tudat, with an emphasis on transparency and reproducibility.
• Analyze combinations of PRIDE and classical radio science data to missions such as Mars Express, Venus Express, Juno, and JUICE, aiming to improve reconstructed spacecraft trajectories and enable higher-quality science products.
• Contribute to extending Tudat’s capabilities for PRIDE-relevant use cases (e.g., tracking observable handling, interfaces, estimation settings, and automated validation).
• Deliver high-quality, FAIR research outputs: curated datasets, clear documentation, peer-reviewed publications, and open-source software that can be reused by both the PRIDE collaboration and the wider astrodynamics and radio-science communities.

Job requirements

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Astronomy or similar.
• Strong software engineering skills in Python.
• Strong background and research experience in astrodynamics/orbit determination and numerical methods.
• Experience in usage of PRIDE data is a strong plus. Experience in usage of radio science data is a plus.
• Experience in the usage and development of Tudat is a strong plus. Experience in usage and development of Tudat or a similar tool is required.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary, open-source environment. .

TU Delft
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Aerospace Engineering
The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is a leading international community where innovation in aerospace meets global challenges. Our support and scientific staff, including PhD candidates, postdocs, and students, largely work together on three main themes: the energy transition, sustainable aerospace, and safety and security, with the aim of tackling climate change and contributing to the independence and security of Europe.

When you join us, you become part of a diverse, collaborative, and forward-thinking environment where your ideas and perspectives are valued. Our work extends beyond the lab—into field labs, innovation hubs, and partnerships with other faculties, research institutes, governments, and industry, both locally and globally.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming workplace, assisted by an active Diversity & Inclusion team. This includes tangible support such as funding for extra personnel for family and caregiving responsibilities, mentoring programmes, and initiatives that promote cultural exchange and integration.

You don’t just join our faculty — you join a community where you can thrive, grow, and help shape the future of aerospace.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

Postdoc Researcher for Monitoring in-Situ Root Growth in Urban Settings

Job description

The ambition of this project is to create a 'digital twin' of the ecosystem services of the urban soil/subsoil in Amsterdam required for optimal tree growth. Ecosystem services include: storing water in the unsaturated zone; draining water via groundwater; sequestering carbon; filtering and breaking down contaminants in groundwater; providing a growth environment for soil and plant roots; providing carrying capacity for infrastructure; providing biological activity for biological soil improvement.

The digital twin aims to be a tool that provides insight into where tree roots grow and what impact these roots have on the local environment. The presence of active tree roots influences water flow, water content and nutrient transport. In addition, as tree roots grow, they apply stresses on infrastructure such as roads, foundations and sewers. This often leads to damages requiring expensive repair measures and often the tree is then removed. The aim of this project is to understand how tree roots grow in the urban context and use these insights to predict how they will damage infrastructure, but also to develop approaches to prevent damage. In the project we aim to develop a numerical model to predict root growth.

Your task as a Postdoc researcher is to develop a measurement and monitoring strategy at a number of sites in Amsterdam to quantify tree root growth from in-situ measurements. This should provide the team with data which can be used as site- specific boundary conditions for running model scenarios, and data which can be used to test the developed models. Measurements will include, for example, water content, and pressure head with local in-situ sensors. In addition we aim to carry out spatially distributed measurements with for example shallow-depth geo-radar.

You will be based at the department of Geoscience & Engineering (GSE) within the faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences in Delft. There will be a close working relationship with the AMS-institute in Amsterdam. Field sites will be provided by the city of Amsterdam.

GSE has an excellent laboratory and field measurement capacity with very experienced support staff for high level geotechnical and geophysical measurement setups.

At TU Delft, we offer a supportive and inclusive working environment that values international collaboration, innovation, and work-life balance. If you’re enthusiastic about combining science, innovation, and societal impact, we’d love to hear from you. Join us in shaping a more sustainable future!

Job requirements
You are an engineer looking to use your analytical and technical skills and innate curiosity to create an impact for a more sustainable urban environment. You also thrive in a complex trans-disciplinary team with many stakeholders.

In addition you have:

• An MSc and PhD in Geosciences, Environmental Science or Engineering, with a focus on Soil Physics, Geotechnical Engineering, or Geophysics;
• You have strong experimental skills and experience with field experiments;
• You have experience with soil physical measurement and monitoring techniques;
• You have experience with shallow depth geophysical measurement techniques;
• You can manage automated high frequency measurements and the resulting data streams;
• You have knowledge of plant physiology;
• You have a driving license valid in the Netherlands; 

As the position requires you to work independently on site in Amsterdam, Dutch proficiency is important as well.    

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences
The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.