Space Operations Engineering Intern (summer 2026)

Space Operations Engineering Intern (Summer 2026)

As a Space Operations Engineer Intern at Impulse Space, you'll support real-world spacecraft missions by assisting with the planning, development, and testing of mission operations. You'll work closely with experienced engineers on a variety of tasks ranging from simulation support to test execution and procedure development. This internship offers hands-on exposure to real-time spacecraft operations and mission-level engineering and operations for ambitious near-Earth and interplanetary missions.

The internship will run from May to August of 2026.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing and testing operational procedures for spacecraft missions
• Support mission simulations and rehearsals using hardware- and software-in-the-loop environments
• Help create tools and scripts to automate operational tasks
• Collaborate with subsystem teams to gather inputs and refine operations plans
• Participate in reviews, test campaigns, and anomaly investigations as needed
• Contribute to documentation and mission readiness activities

Minimum Qualifications

• Recent completion or currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical field
• Familiarity with scripting or programming (e.g., Python, C++, MATLAB)
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Prior internship, research, or project experience related to aerospace or mission operations
• Exposure to systems engineering, GNC, avionics, or spacecraft autonomy concepts
• Experience working with test setups, simulations, or command/control tools

Additional Requirements:

• Willing and able to work on-site in Redondo Beach, CA for the duration of the internship
• This position may require overtime hours; interns are eligible for overtime pay.

Additional Information: Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

About Impulse Space

Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.