2026 Internship – Hypersonic and Reentry System Development and Prototyping

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

6h•Onsite

About The Position

Are you interested in hypersonic and reentry system design and prototyping? If you are pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or another related discipline and want to gain experience working on hypersonic/reentry systems, we’d love to have you join the team! We are seeking passionate engineers to help us prototype, develop, and analyze next generation hypersonic vehicles, reentry systems, and enabling technologies to advance our nation's premier strategic weapons systems. As a member of our team, you’ll make key contributions to develop next generation weapon systems, ensuring their future effectiveness. You will be joining a collaborative team of engineers who work together to solve challenging problems in hypersonic and/or reentry system design. We are passionate about innovation and our team is committed to providing engaging work, having an inclusive environment, and supporting technical development. As a member of the Concept Development and Prototyping Team you will… Collaborate with a cross-discipline team to design and develop advanced reentry system concepts Develop and utilize modeling and simulation tools to conduct trade studies and performance assessments of hypersonic vehicles and/or reentry systems Produce reports and presentations to communicate findings to team members, external organization partners, and/or government sponsors

Requirements

Pursuing a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate degree in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related discipline
Have a 3.0 GPA or higher, on a 4.0 scale
Passionate about modeling and simulation, software development, vehicle design, aerodynamics, flight dynamics, or trajectory optimization
Able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a Secret level clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

Experience with C/C++, Python, MATLAB, and/or other scientific programming languages
Proficiency in standard software engineering practices including git version control, CI/CD integration, documentation, and unit testing
Experience working with or developing modeling and simulation tools using numerical methods
Experience developing 3DoF and/or 6DoF simulations
Experience using 3D CAD tools such as Creo, SolidWorks or similar
Experience in thermal modeling tools such as Thermal Desktop or ANSYS Workbench
Experience using mission level modeling tools such as AFSIM
Previous experience with Navy and/or Air Force strategic missiles, hypersonic vehicles, or reentry systems
Hold an active Secret or higher level clearance

Responsibilities

Collaborate with a cross-discipline team to design and develop advanced reentry system concepts
Develop and utilize modeling and simulation tools to conduct trade studies and performance assessments of hypersonic vehicles and/or reentry systems
Produce reports and presentations to communicate findings to team members, external organization partners, and/or government sponsors