Postdoctoral researcher in AI-based health-monitoring and FDIR for satellites

About the job

Tips: Provide a summary of the role, what success in the position looks like, and how this role fits into the organization overall.

The Project

The candidate will lead the development of AI-based Health Monitoring (HM) and Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR) methods for on-orbit servicing missions within SCOPE, an EU-funded project, contributing to supervised-autonomy architectures for satellite servicing operations. The position involves collaboration with industrial and academic partners working on inspection, refueling, relocation, upgrade, and end-of-life disposal services. This provides the opportunity to collaborate with world-leading space companies, including Leonardo, Thales-Alenia Space Italy, D-Orbit, GMV, iBOSS, Indra, among many others. The candidate will contribute to the design, development, and validation of AI-enabled monitoring and decision-making tools for autonomous servicing spacecraft, ensuring safety, reliability, and certifiability of mission-critical systems.

Responsibilities

• Investigate existing Health Monitoring and FDIR techniques: Review state-of-the-art methods for spacecraft fault detection, prognostics, anomaly detection, and recovery, including model-based, data-driven, hybrid, and formal approaches, with focus on servicing spacecraft and robotic operations.

• Develop AI-based Health Monitoring algorithms: Design machine learning and statistical methods for anomaly detection, fault prediction, prognostics, and adaptive sensor/actuator reconfiguration at component, subsystem, and system levels.

• Develop FDIR architectures for supervised autonomy: Define layered FDIR strategies compliant with ESA SAVOIR guidelines, integrating AI-based monitoring with autonomy frameworks, safe-mode logic, and human-in-the-loop intervention capability.

• Integrate AI modules with servicing autonomy: Ensure seamless interaction between AI-based perception, planning, health monitoring, and mission operations for servicing activities such as inspection, capture preparation, refuelling, relocation, and disposal.

• Develop tools for automatic generation of fault scenarios: Create simulation and procedural tools to generate realistic failure cases (sensor faults, actuator degradations, communication outages, environmental effects) for validation of HM and FDIR systems.

• Inform certification and safety cases: Support industrial partners in developing evidence, documentation, and safety cases for AI-augmented HM/FDIR systems according to relevant space standards.

• Lead SITL/HITL test campaigns: Implement algorithms and conduct experiments using synthetic datasets, spacecraft simulators, and Hardware-in-the-Loop facilities to emulate on-orbit servicing scenarios.

• Teamworking: Collaborate closely with research teams and industrial partners involved in autonomy, robotics, guidance-navigation-control, and servicing operations.

You will receive the necessary support to excel in these areas and will build upon ongoing developments within the SpaceR projects and partner infrastructures.

Qualifications

• PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, with a focus on spacecraft autonomy, AI, or system reliability.

• Demonstrated expertise in at least one of the following areas:

- Machine Learning / Deep Learning (particularly anomaly detection, decision support, prognostics).

- Health Monitoring and Prognostics.

- Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery (FDIR)

- Safety Engineering / Safety-Critical Systems or Reliability Engineering.

- Autonomous Robotics or Spacecraft GNC

- Control / Estimation Theory.

- Experience with probabilistic methods

- Familiarity with ECSS standards

• Intermediate programming skills in Python and C++.

• Experience with ML frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.

• Working knowledge of ROS or a similar robotics/autonomy framework.

• Proven track record in relevant conferences and journals: At least two publications in top-tier venues: IROS, ICRA, RSS, R-AL, TRO, TFR, IEEE Aerospace Conference, AIAA SciTech

•  Fluent in written and verbal communication skills in English.

• Strong analytical mindset, teamwork, and commitment.

How to apply

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae

• Cover letter detailing your motivation for applying to the advertised research topic and/or project, including how your background, interests, and career goals align with its objective

• PhD diploma or a letter/information indicating the expected defense date

• Transcript of all modules and results from university-level courses taken

• List of publications

• Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by Email will not be considered.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. In line with our values, the University of Luxembourg promotes an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to upholding equality and respect for our employees and students.

General information:

• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 24 Month

• Work Hours: Full Time 40.0 Hours per Week

• Location: Kirchberg Campus

• Internal Title: Postdoctoral researcher

• Job Reference: UOL08095

• Application deadline: 1st of May, 2026

• Starting date (ideal): 1st of June/July, 2026

The yearly gross salary for every Postdoctoral Researcher at the UL is EUR 85176 (full-time).