Guidance, Navigation & Controls (GNC) Internship - Summer 2026

Guidance, Navigation & Controls (GNC) Internship - Summer 2026

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules.

From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL (coming soon).

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About This Role

Summer internships will range between the months of May and August. All dates dependent upon the university schedule of the selected students. Internships are full-time and on-site in Los Angeles, CA.

The GNC (Guidance, Navigation & Controls) team is responsible for the design, analysis, simulation, and operational performance of Varda's reentry vehicles. In this internship, you'll help enable end-to-end GNC performance for our flight vehicles—supporting everything from 6DOF simulation and control system modeling to sensor integration and trajectory optimization.

Internships at Varda are optimal for students looking to grow technically and professionally while working on impactful projects critical to the company's success. You will be working on a collaborative team in a startup environment while being able to learn from some of most accomplished and experienced aerospace professionals in the world. We're dedicated to providing an experience that will let your decisions and contributions help drive Varda's success.

Responsibilities

• As part of the GNC team, own or contribute to analysis, algorithms and simulations for reentry vehicles
• Own integration and testing of GNC sensors, actuators and software in simulation and hardware in the loop environments
• Design and implement mission critical tooling needed to facilitate automated maneuver responsibility and scheduling decisions
• Design and implementation of autonomous satellite attitude control, collision avoidance, orbital rendezvous, burn planning and atmospheric re-entry algorithms
• Perform trajectory design, optimization, and dispersion analysis for the reentry of a space capsule

Basic Qualifications

• Previous GNC internship
• Familiar with orbital mechanics, flight dynamics, trajectory design and optimization, feedback controls, 6DOF flight simulations, navigation solutions, guidance navigation and controls flight algorithms, monte carlo analysis
• Familiarity with C++ or python and modern software development principles

Preferred Skills And Experience

• At least one year of experience on a technical project team (e.g., CubeSat, Rocket Team, AIAA Design-Build-Fly, Formula SAE)
• Previous experience working on simulation support tools or GNC tooling for aerospace vehicles
• Familiarity with Monte Carlo analysis, navigation filters, sensor/actuator integration, or HIL simulation environments
• Experience with tools like GMAT, POST2, MATLAB/Simulink, or custom orbital simulation frameworks
• Strong communication and documentation skills