Your mission
A postdoc position is available between the Laboratory of Astrophysics (lastro.epfl.ch) and the Space Center (espace.epfl.ch) of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. The position is part of a joint project with the CV Lab (cvllab.epfl.ch) to develop tools to monitor and characterize satellites and space debris from ground based or in-orbit vantage points.
Main duties and responsibilities include
A motivated and talented postdoctoral researchers will be recruited to work on developing fast detection and characterization of satellites from ground-based imaging (from dedicated observations or from open access wide field astronomical observations [e.g. ESO/VST imaging data]).
The science interests are in particular:
- characterizing the space debris population in particular toward the small debris
- characterizing the rotation of space debris
The goal is to provide added value information on the population of space debris in particular in the view of active debris removal or mitigation. The project will develop open tools and open dataset.
Your profile
- A formal requirement for the position is a PhD in physics/astrophysics or in computer science.
- A strong motivation for space science.
- Expertise in processing large amount of data will be valued.
- Excellent programming skills in python or C/C++.
- Expertise in GPU computing will be valued.
- Proficient knowledge of writing English is required.
We offer
EPFL is recognized as one of the best Universities in Europe, addressing both engineering and fundamental sciences. The successful applicant will join the Laboratory of Astrophysics (lastro.epfl.ch), consisting of approximately 15 PhD students, 10 postdoctoral researchers, 3 professors, and three senior scientists. The applicant will also be affiliated to the EPFL Space Center (eSpace.epfl.ch) from which the ClearSpace start-up was created.
The position comes with a very competitive salary and benefits.
Applicants should submit as a single PDF file, which includes:
- a motivation letter (up to 2 pages),
- a research statement (up to 3 pages)
- a curriculum vitae (up to 3 pages),
- a list of publications, and
through the EPFL online application system https://recruiting.epfl.ch/Vacancies/1875/Description/2 and should arrange for
Application will be reviewed as soon as they are received. Applicants are invited to send an email to jean-paul.kneib@epfl.ch if they have any questions regarding the position.
Start date: 01.09.2021 (Flexible). Work rate: 100%. Duration: 2+1 years
