Intern, Imaging Systems

Planet • San Francisco, CA

2d • $37 - $60 • Onsite

About The Position

Planet’s Program and Systems team is seeking an Imaging Systems Intern to help with the development and validation of Planet’s fleet of Earth-imaging satellites. This role is for a systems-thinker who wants to see how physics, hardware, and software converge. You will report to Imaging leadership and collaborate closely with Electro Optics, Thermal, GNC, Mission Software and Operations team to ensure the proper operation of our imaging payloads in the ground and on orbit. This is a full-time, in-office position based in our San Francisco office 5 days per week.

Requirements

• Enrolled in an Advanced graduate program (MS/PhD) in Optical Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace engineering or relevant field.
• A systems-thinking approach to working through complex problems
• Ready to roll up your sleeve - self-motivated approach to solving ambiguous problems in a real-time operations environment.
• Academic or project experience in imaging sensors, optical metrology, photogrammetry, computer vision and/or remote sensing/GIS.
• Strong coding skills (Python/C++/FPGA) for automated data analysis, visualization, and hardware interfacing.
• Understanding of one or multiple satellite subsystems including: Optical, Thermal, ADSCS/GNC
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a willingness to collaborate across teams

Nice To Haves

• Experience with sensors, telescope optics, or lab-based optical benches.
• Prior exposure to satellite AI&T (Assembly, Integration, & Test) or orbital mechanics.
• Background in Computer Vision, Radiometry, or Geometric Calibration.
• Experience in software engineering for large-scale data processing of Earth Observation datasets.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with spacecraft hardware, mission operations, imaging pipeline, and embedded software teams to deliver product needs.
• Support ground and flight testing, and operation of new and advanced imaging systems
• Support Verification & Validation (V&V) campaigns to ensure payloads meet imaging performance requirements.
• Assist in root-cause analysis for imaging anomalies and contribute to the deployment of technical fixes or calibration updates.

Benefits

• Commuter Benefits
• Paid time off for holidays and company-wide days off
• Internet reimbursement
• Access to LinkedIn Learning

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern