Adrien Finance

Professional Profile

Spacecraft Operations Engineer with hands-on experience in GEO and Earth observation satellite operations, combining spacecraft flight operations, AOCS, and anomaly investigation. Experienced in end-to-end satellite data processing, from raw telemetry to calibrated products (Level 0–2), including calibration, validation, and scientific interpretation. Proven expertise in nominal, special, and contingency operations, ground segment operations, and ECSS/ESA-compliant procedures. Skilled at collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams, scientists, and operations stakeholders, ensuring operational reliability and alignment with scientific requirements. Strong Python-based automation and Linux skills support safe, efficient mission operations.

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Experience

Satellite Operations System Engineer

2024 — Present

OHB Digital Connect GmbH — Bonn, Germany

  • Support geostationary spacecraft operations in a mission-critical environment, ensuring spacecraft safety and availability.
  • Perform real-time telemetry monitoring, orbit determination, propagation, and station-keeping manoeuvres.
  • Plan and execute attitude and orbital manoeuvres within operational constraints.
  • Prepare, validate, and execute ECSS/ESA-compliant flight procedures.
  • Conduct anomaly detection, failure investigation, and root-cause analysis.
  • Develop Python-based automation tools to streamline recurrent operations and data processing.
  • Interface with multi-disciplinary teams, industry partners, and operations stakeholders to align operational and scientific requirements.
  • Maintain dashboards, alarms, and displays for mission control and operational decision support.

PhD Researcher — UVSQ-SAT Space Mission

2020 — 2023

LATMOS / ACRI-ST — France

  • Developed attitude determination algorithms using TRIAD, MEKF, and neural networks for CubeSat missions.
  • Handled end-to-end satellite data chain from raw telemetry (Level 0) to calibrated products (Level 1/2) for Earth observation.
  • Performed in-orbit calibration, validation, and scientific interpretation of spaceborne measurements.
  • Built end-to-end mission simulations and constellation performance tools.
  • Contributed to design reviews, AOCS validation, and operational readiness activities.
  • Published peer-reviewed articles in space systems engineering and climate remote sensing.

Education

PhD — Earth Observation & Space Systems

Université Paris-Saclay
2020 — 2023

MSc — Advanced Computational Methods for Aeronautics

Imperial College London
2018 — 2019

Engineering Diploma — Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

Arts et Métiers ParisTech
2016 — 2019

Technical
Expertise

Spacecraft Ops & AOCS
GEO Mission Ops Station-Keeping Orbit Determination Orbit Propagation Attitude Control Flight Dynamics TM/TC Execution Anomaly Response
Flight Dynamics & Control
Kalman Filter (MEKF) TRIAD Method Least-Squares Monte Carlo Orbital Mechanics Attitude Modelling
Automation & Data
Python NumPy Pandas Scikit-learn PyTorch Astropy Poliastro MATLAB SQL / PostgreSQL Shell Scripting
Tools & Standards
STK Linux / Unix Docker NetCDF CCSDS ECSS / ESA MCS Configuration

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
2021

Finance, A., Meftah, M., Dufour, C., Boutéraon, T., Bekki, S., Hauchecorne, A., Keckhut, P. et al. A New Method Based on a Multilayer Perceptron Network to Determine In-Orbit Satellite Attitude for Spacecrafts without Active ADCS Like UVSQ-SAT. Remote Sensing, 13(6), 1185. doi.org/10.3390/rs13061185 ↗

2021

Finance, A., Dufour, C., Boutéraon, T., Sarkissian, A., Mangin, A., Keckhut, P., Meftah, M. In-Orbit Attitude Determination of the UVSQ-SAT CubeSat Using TRIAD and MEKF Methods. Sensors, 21(21), 7361. doi.org/10.3390/s21217361 ↗

2021

Finance, A., Meftah, M., Mangin, A., Keckhut, P. UVSQ-SAT: A New Way to Obtain Spatio-Temporal Variations of the Earth Radiation Budget with a Satellite Constellation. ESS Open Archive. doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10505801.1 ↗

2021

Meftah, M., Boutéraon, T., Dufour, C., Hauchecorne, A., Keckhut, P., Finance, A., Bekki, S. et al. The UVSQ-SAT / INSPIRESat-5 CubeSat Mission: First In-Orbit Measurements of the Earth's Outgoing Radiation. Remote Sensing, 13(8), 1449. doi.org/10.3390/rs13081449 ↗

2022

Meftah, M., Boust, F., Keckhut, P., Sarkissian, A., Boutéraon, T., Bekki, S., Damé, L., Finance, A. et al. INSPIRE-SAT 7, a Second CubeSat to Measure the Earth's Energy Budget and to Probe the Ionosphere. Remote Sensing, 14(1), 186. doi.org/10.3390/rs14010186 ↗

2022

Finance, A., Meftah, M., Dufour, C., Boutéraon, T., Mangin, A. Remote Sensing Based Methods to Retrieve UVSQ-SAT CubeSat Attitude to Map the Earth's Radiation Budget. ESS Open Archive. doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10510485.1 ↗

Doctoral Thesis
2023

Finance, Adrien. Observation et quantification du bilan radiatif terrestre à partir du satellite UVSQ-SAT. PhD Thesis, Université Paris-Saclay, Discipline: Astronomy & Astrophysics. Defended 31 March 2023. Laboratoire Atmosphères, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), CNRS.

Contact

LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/adrien-finance
ResearchGateresearchgate.net/profile/Adrien-Finance
Curriculum VitaeDownload PDF