Engineering Internship (Spring 2026)

Space Kinetic • El Segundo, CA

4h • Onsite

About The Position

Space Kinetic is a cleared, venture-backed startup focused on addressing urgent national security priorities, aiming to deliver asymmetric capabilities for space superiority and missile defense using a proprietary electromechanical deployment system. This system enables rapid deployment of low-cost payloads through space without thrusters. The company is currently assembling its TRL-5 prototype with a goal to achieve a flight demo within the next two years. An internship with Space Kinetic offers an opportunity to contribute to changing the Universe. As a Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Intern, you will support the Engineering team in designing and building prototypes for Space Kinetic’s core technology. You will collaborate with manufacturing and engineering teams to enhance the current design architecture for Flight Development. Depending on your background, the role may involve CAD, software coding, system engineering integration and test, thermal modeling, stress analysis, Electrical Circuit Design, board and box assembly and test, or manufacturing support. You will also work with vendors to source components, support finite element analysis (FEA) simulations, create models for prototypes and full-scale systems, test built systems, and develop code for flight and ground applications.

Requirements

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, self-driven entrepreneurial workplace
• Currently enrolled as a Junior or Senior level at an accredited college or university pursuing your Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) degree
• Experience with CAD software (SolidWorks) Ansys, or thermal desktop
• Coding experience in C++, Python and/or Rust
• Ability to work with minimal direction or support and to learn quickly
• Strong analytical skills
• Creative and innovative thinking
• Detail-oriented
• Calm under pressure
• Commitment to follow-through
• Enthusiastic with a talent for motivating others
• Receptive to career coaching and open to others' ideas
• Effective in written communication
• Ability to maintain or obtain Government Security Clearance
• Applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State

Nice To Haves

• Knowledgeable of Dynamics and Kinematics
• Previous experience with Control Systems (Sensor Fusion, Kalman Filtering, IMU)
• Mathematics to include Linear Algebra, Differential Equation, Probability and Statistics
• Python

Responsibilities

• Support Engineering to help design and build prototypes for Space Kinetic’s core technology
• Work with the Space Kinetic manufacturing and/or engineering teams to enhance the current design architecture as we prepare for Flight Development
• Dive deep into CAD, software coding, system engineering integration and test, thermal modeling, stress analysis, Electrical Circuit Design, board and box assembly and test or manufacturing support (depending upon background)
• Collaborate with vendors to source components
• Support finite element analysis (FEA) simulations for the system
• Create models for both the current prototype and the full-scale system
• Test as built systems
• Develop code for flight and ground applications

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern