Intern, RF and Optical Communications

Planet•San Francisco, CA

20h•$37 - $60•Hybrid

About The Position

Planet is working on the next generation small satellite bus that will host a high resolution optical imaging payload (Pelican) and a hyperspectral payload (Carbon Mapper). Planet has continuously iterated and developed small spacecraft communication systems including board level hardware, antennas, and ground station equipment that produce record data rates. Our system consists of transceivers in several bands, as well as a worldwide network of ground stations. We are seeking an RF/Optical Communications summer intern to develop our next-generation onboard, ground radios, modems and antenna systems that push the frontiers of satellite communications. As a RF/Optical Comms Intern you will assist the team in making evolutionary and revolutionary improvements in their performance, reliability and cost, including the design of next-generation S-band through Ka-band radios, Intersatellite Optical communications and a variety of antennas as well as contribute to various ongoing projects. You will participate in design and implementation of communication systems, PCB layout projects and interface with cross functional teams - electrical, FPGA, DSP, software and mechanical engineers to address challenging design issues. This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our San Francisco office 3 days per week.

Requirements

Graduate or Ph. D. candidate pursuing a dissertation in a related RF, Optical Communications field.
Passion for RF/MW, communications, electromagnetics, and signal processing
Ability to adapt and learn a multitude of technical skills related to the position and other building blocks for space and ground station applications.
Excellent documentation, presentation and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Optical comms systems
Class projects, prior internships or contribution to open source projects in the areas of digital signal processing and digital communications
Understanding of finite word length effects in the implementation of DSP algorithms.
Knowledge of mixed signal (A/D, D/A), digital, FPGA and uProcessor design, bringup, interfacing and prototyping.
Experience in Linux, Python, MATLAB/Simulink, and data analysis tools
Experience with at least one RF/MW design and simulation suites (ADS, HFSS, Microwave Office)
Experience utilizing AI tools and agentic workflows for rapid development.

Responsibilities

RF/MW hardware transceiver and circuit design, simulation (Spice, ADS, HFSS), instrumentation, test and characterization.
Modem design, implementation, validation and verification
Antenna design, simulation and testing
Digital communications theory and associated signal processing algorithms for both narrowband and wideband data transmission systems
Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms and respective signal processing toolkits (ex.: GNURadio)
Optical communication systems integration and test
Validation and Verification of radios and antennas pre-shipment and validation of radio performance on orbit after satellite launch.